The Next Generation
by Juria
Summary: I've told the tale of the parents, now, it's the kids turn, bit by bit. Well, here it is, the epic tale that I pray I'll complete some time this century. It's got a PG-13 rating, for now, for later chapters. Contains Toko, Ty Lokka, Kataang, Jai, and more
1. Chapter 1

The Next Generation : Chapter 1

By: Juria

Notes: Any characters you do not recognize in this story probably belong to me, unless you've never seen Avatar. Also, I just wanted to change one little thing, Mia is 4 instead of six, and you'll see why later on. Other than that, I'm done, so enjoy!

Intro: We open up on Kiyoshi Island, during a week-long vacation, about 7 months into Toph's pregnancy, which, given that it's her, everyone can barely tell unless they feel her stomach. Also, Katara is 5 months pregnate with her and Aang's second child. The children have all gone off to play, leaveing Toph and Zuko to make their big announcement, regarding their child's name, and everyone else to freak.

Sokka's jaw hit the floor as soon as the name of Toph and Zuko's soon-to-be-born child. Calmly walking over to Zuko, he got his old friend in a playful headlock, and dragged him out of earshot of Toph, Aang and Jet following, while Longshot just gave a simple nod to Smellerbee, then left to keep a watchful eye on the kids, as well as play a few rounds of Pai Sho with Iroh.

As soon as Sokka was far enough away from the ladies, he released Zuko, then took a deep breath. "Have you guys fallen off the Bison's saddle?!" he shouted. Zuko straightened up and rolled his eyes. "What's the big deal? He's my son, and I wanted him to have that name." he stated bluntly. "What does Toph think of this?" Aang asked.

Zuko chuckled. "She actually agreed to it. It started out as a joke, but she replied "Ok", and that's all the more there is to it." he said, this time with a bit of firmness in his tone. Now, it was Jet's turn to ask. "Yeah, and how can we be so sure he won't turn out like his namesake?" he asked in a blunt tone, Zuko getting stares from everyone else. He calmly shook his head. "Trust me, I'll make sure of it."

And with that, the subject was dropped by all, all but Sokka, who had to be stopped with a menacing glare from Zuko, and then Aang had to break up the in-coming sword fight.

Sokka looked to the sky and rolled his eyes. "I can't believe I'm gonna be called "Uncle Sokka" by a kid named Ozai."

Meanwhile...

Katara had managed to calm girl in the room down, more specifically, Mai and Toph. "Come on, we're all friends here. Why should it matter what Toph names her son? Zuko is a good man, and a good father, and we all know it." she said sternly, sitting next to Toph. Ty Lee gently took Toph's hand. "Besides, we all know that this child is not going to turn out like his namesake, his parents will make sure of it, won't you?" she asked.

Toph smiled. "I could tell you were unsure. It's fine, we'll make sure he doesn't turn out to be anything like Firelord Ozai." Mai shook her head. "And how can you be so certain?" Toph glared at her with her sightless eyes, and even though Mai hid it well, Toph could tell she was intemidated. "Because, unlike Sozin, Zuko is going to give his son a normal life." she stated. "Yeah, and Sozin was human once too." Mai said.

Toph started to stand up, but Katara did before her. Everyone could feel the tension between the two women. "Oh yeah, and just what makes you the expert on parenting, Mai?" Katara snapped. Mai's eyes turned into the all-too-familiar glimmer, the one that she used to give before she would throw her daggers at you. As if on instinct, both ladies began to ready themselves, Katara making water appear from the air, while Mai fiddled with her hidden weapons.

Then, all at once, the two girls stopped, smiled at eachother, then started laughing. Smellerbee and Ty Lee shared a confused glance, while Toph just grinned, like she had seen this coming. "I'm sorry." the two girls stated at the same time, then chucking to themselves before sitting back down. Mai sighed and shook her head at Toph. "Well, looks like I lose this round. If you guys wanna go ahead and name your kid Ozai, be my guest, just keep him in line." she said bluntly, before she began filing her nails with a small dagger.

Smellerbee looked at Katara like a lost kitten. "Um, what the hell just happened?" she asked, while Ty Lee scratched her head. Toph chuckled. "They just realized how stupid they were acting." she said with a grin.

And with that, the rest of the day went off without a hitch, aside from the ocassional argument of bedtime between mothers and children, which was quickly stopped with a small sample of Toph, Zuko, Aang, and Katara's powers, which calminated in one very nice sculpture. "Now, if you kids ever want to see that again, go to bed now." Toph said with a blunt grin, listening as they all left, all except the oldest, Sokka's son.

Sokka calmly walked over to his son. "Saito, it's time to go to sleep. Or at least come in, before your mother has both of our heads." The young boy said nothing, but stared calmly at the stars. "So, uh, what are ya starin' at?" his father asked, scooting beside him and staring up at the stars as well. "I'm waiting." Saito said.

Sokka gave his son a bewildered look. "Waiting for what?" Saito suddenly stood up, and bowed to the ocean. "I was waiting for the moon spirit to finish talking to me." he said, before turning around, and walking on his hands back to their home. Sokka sighed deeply, then bowed to the ocean as well. "Thanks for the chat, Yue." he said, before he started walking back, swearing that he'd heard a voice say "You're welcome."

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

The Next Generation : Chapter 2 

By: Juria

Notes: Any characters you do not recognize in this story probably belong to me, unless you've never seen Avatar. Also, I just wanted to change one little thing, Mia is 4 instead of six, and you'll see why later on. Other than that, I'm done, so enjoy!

Shout-out: I have to thank Lady Kendra, and her "Blind Are We Both", "Blind Are Our Children", and "Blind Are We All" series for inspiring this series.

Mia Bei Fong slowly opened her eyes to the sounds of a typical morning, the servents cooking breakfast, her mother and father talking to themselves about whatever grown-ups talked about, and, hopefully, her favorite friend standing on the roof of her room.

Mia quickly changed into her casual clothes, a pair of black pants and a grey shirt that her mother had packed for her, then she slipped on her sandles and stood sat by the window. "Haku, are you there?" she asked, almost like she was talking to an imaginary friend.

The female Dai Li quietly slid in through the second window, behind her young mistress. A small smile crept up on Haku's face as she snuck up behind the young firebender, then gently tickled her ribs, getting a sudden yelp from her. Mia spun around and jumped into the Dai Li warrior's arms. "Good morning Haku." she said happily.

Haku's blue-green eyes shimmered as she smiled at hugged her young charge. "Good morning, Lady Mia. Did you sleep well?" Mia looked up at her and giggled. "Uh huh, come on, breakfast is waiting." she said, jumping out of Haku's arms and running ahead of her. A grin formed on Haku's face as she watched Mia race down the hall. Haku stuck her head out the door, waiting for the usual sound, Mia running into her father or mother, and one of them picking her up.

However, she felt a bit worried when she heard the tone of her father's voice. "Mia, what did I tell you about running around the ship?" Zuko said sternly. As if on cue, Haku was inches behind his daughter. "Please, Master Zuko, it was my fault. I got her excited." she said with a bit of concern on her face. Zuko shook his head, then chuckled. "It's ok Haku, Mia isn't in trouble." he said, laughing along with his daughter.

Haku kind of chuckled, then started to walk away, her cheeks flushed. However, once Mia was at the breakfast table, Zuko turned back to Haku. "Thank you for your concern, Haku." he said. "Won't you and Kyo join us?" Haku turned and gave him a quick nod, before giving a whistle. As quickly as she had arrived, so to did Haku's partner, Kyo, bowing to his charges, and in Toph's case, his earthbending teacher. "We would be honored." he said, each pulling up a chair.

Meanwhile...

Mai groaned and snuggled close to her husband, trying to ignore the arguement going on downstairs between her own son and Ty Lee and Sokka's kids. She could play out the entire event in her mind based solely on the sounds, Saito was saying something about Takumi liking Mia, nothing rude, just pointing it out. The problem came when Takumi denied it, then Hitome would run by Takumi and tease him. Of course, Takumi was getting fed up with it.

Thud! And now, Mai wanted to kill her child, or at least punish him, before Saito did. The sound of a little girl crying not only brought Mai to her senses, but Jet sprung up from his position like he was being shot at. "Don't bother to bring your swords, the kids are fighting." Mai grumbled, standing up and throwing her robe on.

Jet yawned and regained his composure. "Is it wrong to beat your child with the blunt side of a sword?" he asked with a huff. Mai stopped him. "It's as wrong as me throwing my knives at him." she said sternly. Jet half-grinned at her. "Yeah, but, given the right circumstances, you throwing knives is fun." Mai playfully punched him in the shoulder. "Later daddy, now let's go save our kid before Sokka's boy kills him." she said.

Mai and Jet both lept down the stairs, and calmed down when they saw the whole scene. Takumi, on the other hand, looked like he was going to faint. Takumi had Hitome on his back, while Saito walked behind them, as the trio headed into the kitchen. Hitome whimpered as her mother picked her up. "Mama, I think my leg's broke!" she shouted, crying.

"Takumi, come here now." Mai said sternly. "Now, now Mai, it was an accident. He chased Hitome, and she tripped and fell over the living room table, that's all. Go easy on him." Ty Lee said from the kitchen, all the while numbing and bandaging Hitome's leg. Saito simply glared at Takumi before he walked back into the kitchen.

One swift swat from his mother later, and Takumi was walking back into the kitchen, his head down. "Do you have something to say to Hitome?" Jet asked, keeping his eyes locked on his son. He still thought Mai went too light on him. Takumi watched as Ty Lee sat Hitome on a chair, then stood beside her, his head down. "I'm sorry I chased you." he said in the most caring voice he could.

Hitome gently hugged him, wincing as she tried to move her leg. "I'm sorry I made fun of you." she said. Once Hitome had let him go, his parents sat down to breakfast. Unfortunatly, Takumi's seat was right across from Saito. However, Sokka was sitting right next to his son. "Saito, you'll have to forgive Takumi some day. You can't stay angry at him forever." Saito ate in quiet, never taking his eyes off of Takumi.

Mai and Ty Lee just shook their heads. "Some morning, huh?" Ty Lee asked with her typical, happy grin. Mai groaned. "Agni must hate me." she muttered. Ty Lee couldn't help but giggle. "Oh, she doesn't. You know, for as loud as Hitome screamed, her injury isn't that bad, just a cut, and her first bruise." she said, smiling and kissing her daughter's forehead. "This is just one of the many joys of motherhood." Ty Lee said with a laugh. If looks could kill, Mai would have just evicerated Ty Lee.

Meanwhile...

Yin rolled over and snuggled up next to Appa, before her father airbended her up. "Come on Yin, it's time to wake up. Mommy's cooking over a fire. Well, and she's trying to keep Momo from stealing your food." he said with a smile. Yin's shimmer blue eyes met her father's grey ones. "Just a little longer daddy." she said, rolling back into her blanket.

Aang chuckled at his daughter, wrapping herself up in the blanket. 'And she wanted to sleep under the stars.' he thought. Suddenly, Aang's eyes lit up with a child-like mischivness. He ran over to Appa and whispered in his ear. Appa roared, then rolled to his feet, and sniffed Yin, then licked her face until she awoke. "Appa, stop it!" the young waterbender said with a giggle.

Katara shook her head at her husband. "You're terriable." she said, one eye on Momo. "Now quit that, you know better." he said, shaking her spoon at the lemur. Momo cocked his head to one side, then raced past Aang and jumped on top of Appa once he saw Yin running over to them. "So, I see you're finally awake." Aang said with an innocent look on his face. Yin looked up at her father, blowing her hair out of her eyes. "You woke me up daddy."

Fortunatly, the rest of the day, and the weekend, went off without a hitch.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

The Next Generation : Chapter 3 

By: Juria

Notes: Any characters you do not recognize in this story probably belong to me, unless you've never seen Avatar. Other than that, I'm done, so enjoy!

Days became weeks, weeks became months, and soon, by a strange twist of fate, Toph and Katara were lying side-by-side in the Earth Kingdom medical ward, in labor, Aang at both girl's sides, while Zuko paced a track in the floor, after he had been thrown out by both girls, Katara verbally, and Toph physically.

Zuko cringed each time he heard Toph's scream, or more accuratly, curse the heavens and Zuko to them. He looked over to his daughter, who, luckily, had her ears covered by her "Grandpa Iroh" everytime Toph went into a cursing fit, and silently prayed to Agni that his daughter wouldn't go deaf.

Sokka watched his niece and daughter play, while Saito just quietly stared at the floor, trying to blot out the random words that flowed from both his Aunt Katara and his "aunt" Toph. Takumi cringed and hid behind his father as the two ladies shouted, cursed, and got into full-blown arguments with his mother and "aunt" Ty Lee.

Smellerbee suddenly came flying out of the room, literally in the air, landing on her face. She picked herself up and grumbled, glaring at Zuko. "There is no way you're getting me to go back in there!" she growled, walking past him and over to the collective of frightened children. "Come on kids, let's go play somewhere else." she said, leading all of the children out of the room, Saito and Iroh taking up the rear, Iroh swearing he heard his grand-daughter ask what most of Toph current vocabulary ment.

Jet and Sokka watched Zuko pace back and forth, until Aang too came flying through the doors, crashing into Zuko. "Your wife is crazy!" he shouted, standing up. Zuko sprang to his feet. "Yeah, like your wife is an more sane!" the former prince shouted back. As if on cue, both guys jumped back and got into a fighting stance. At this point, Sokka stood up and got right between them. "Come on guys, we're all just a bit stressed-out, whoa!"

Sokka jumped back just as Aang's forearm blocked Zuko's kick. The two masters exchanged blows and blocks back and forth, neither one using a single bending move, first fighting into the hallway, then outside. Fortunatly, they didn't break anything.

Jet, Sokka, and Longshot all followed the two warriors, praying to the spirits and gods that they could calm down the two fighters. However, by the time they had gotten to them, Zuko and Aang had their hands on eachother's shoulders, laughing. "Um, what the heck just happened?" Sokka asked, scratching his head. Jet and Longshot just shrugged their shoulders, then started walking back to the waiting room.

Suddenly, Ty Lee came rushing out of the birthing room, of course walking on her hands. "Hey guys, come quick!" she shouted. Aang and Zuko grinned at eachother, then raced down to the waiting room, both stopping at exactly the same time next to Katara and Toph. The two masters turned into big kids at the sight of their baby boys, jumping into the air and high-fiving eachother. Katara and Toph just giggled at eachother. "Boys."

"So, what color are Ozai's eyes?" Toph asked. Zuko stared in awe at the red blanket as his son opened his eyes, and two green sparkles stared back at him. "They're green." he said. Toph's face suddenly turned to a look of worry. "Is he blind?" she asked. Zuko's face turned to a serious look as he waved his finger in front of his son's face, smiling as little Ozai followed it with curiousity. "Nope, he's just fine."

Aang, meanwhile, was in complete shock, until Sokka punched him in the arm. "Hey Aang, are you gonna hold your son, or do I get to?" he asked, snapping the Avatar back to reality. Hands trembling just like with the birth of Yin, Aang gently cupped his hands behind his son in the blue blanket, amazed that, despite being born 2 months prematurely, here he was, alive and well. "I want to name him, Gyatso." he said proudly. Katara looked up at him and smiled warmly. "Welcome to the world, Gyatso."

As if on cue, both Yin and Mia walked over to their mothers, stareing in amazement at their baby brothers, each thinking the same thing. "My brother is better." Mia said proudly. Yin rolled her eyes. "No, mine is better." However, before the arguement could go any futher, Iroh ended it. "They are both beautiful boys, and you should be proud of your parents for bringing them into this world." he stated. Mia and Yin sighed, then looked to their parents. "Thanks mommy and daddy." they said in unison, before returning to staring in amazement at their baby brothers.

Mia, of course, being her mother's child, had to spoil the moment. "Mommy, what does fuck mean?" Sokka bit his lip and walked out of the room, while Toph just rolled her eyes and replied. "I'll explain it when you're older, honey. For now, all you need to know is it's a bad word you shouldn't say." she said. Mia kind of stared at the floor. "Oh, ok." she said innocently, all the while her father had to keep from laughing as well.

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

The Next Generation : Chapter 4 By: Juria Notes: Any characters you do not recognize in this story probably belong to me, unless you've never seen Avatar. Other than that, I'm done, so enjoy! Quick re-cap of updated ages: Mia : ( Toph and Zuko's daughter ) 9, Hitome : ( Sokka and Ty Lee's daughter ) 8 , Saito : ( Sokka and Ty Lee's son ) 12, Takumi : ( Mai and Jet's son ) 10 , Yin : ( Aang and Katara's daughter ) 10, Gyatso and Ozai : ( Aang and Katara's, and Toph and Zuko's sons respectively ) 5.

Intro: Five years have passed since Ozai's birth. However, just as things settle down and get truely at peace, as usual, the world that these kids and their parents know is about to be turned upside down once again.

Saito leaned against a tree just a few feet from the adult's tent, intentivly listening in on bits and pieces of the adult's conversation. Most of it was stuff he already knew, like how skilled a fighter and hunter he was becoming, or how his sister was following in her mother's footsteps, becoming more stealthy each day.

However, this peacful silence was suddenly broken, as was Saito's afternoon nap, with a scream, coming from Mia. "Mom, Dad, OzaiandGyatsoaretryingtopettheonagi!" the young girl frantically screamed out. Toph shook her head and sighed. "Excuse me, boys and girls, I have to go kill my child." she muttered, storming out of the tent and towards the beach, all of the other parents following, while Aang rushed off to get Appa.

"Ok, where are they?" Katara grumbled, then she eyes got wider and wider when she spotted the boys, floating on a platform of ice in the middle of the ocean. Before she could say her name, Yin was already running up to her. "Mama, I'm so sorry. I just ment to make a little ice, not to put my brother in danger!" she broke out sobbing.

Katara sighed, then knelt down and took her daughter's hand. "We'll talk about it later honey, now, can you help me make another platform out to your brother?" she asked. Zuko stared silently at the two boys, watching as Gyatso would airbend them further away. Suddenly, a panicked look crossed his face. "There's no time, I can see it from here!" he shouted "And if my son doesn't get back here, his backside is going to be black and blue!" he shouted, getting a laugh from his son. 'Dammit! He doesn't understand what he's doing!' Zuko thought to himself.

Katara turned to Toph. "Can you make an earth-bridge out to them?" she asked. "Don't you think I would have done that already?!" Toph shouted back, then, she muttered "Fuck it" and lept into the water, not caring that she couldn't see at all, not realizing that her own instinct was forcing her to swim, swim to her child. She got about half-way out into the water when she heard it, the roar of the Onagi, the screams of the boys, then, she felt earth, and heard Aang shout to the boys. Shaking, Toph stood up, wondering how in the hell an earth-platform had rose out from under her.

Zuko's jaw hit the floor the instant he saw his wife dive into the water. Longshot was the only one who took action, trying to hit the Onagi from the shore, each shot coming up short. Everyone else was in shock and awe. However, the instant the pillar of earth came up through the Onagi's jaw and skull, impaling it just inches from the two boys, even Longshot got distracted.

As soon as the two boys got off Appa, Longshot watched as a swift swat from their parents sent both boys running, Gyatso to Aang and Katara's make-shift home, Ozai bolting back to the Fire Nation ship, with his father following. Smellerbee sighed and shook her head. "Boys." she muttered. Longshot couldn't help but chuckle, getting him a punch in the arm.

Toph groaned as she stood up, panic in her voice. "Where's Ozai, and how in the hell did I end up on the ground?" she asked to everyone. "He's running from his old man, and Mia did it." Takumi said with a smile, the smile leaving when he saw Mia laying on the ground, unconscience. As Saito and Takumi argued over who was going to carry Mia, and then Saito and Hitome argued because she took Takumi's side, Toph knelt down and placed her hand on her daughter's chest. "She's fine, she just fainted." she said, gently lifting her up in her arms, and carrying her back to the ship. "Hey, Toph, if you need anything, we're here for you." Mai said in a calming tone. Toph sighed deeply, then smiled where she felt her friends were. "Thanks guys." she said, before walking into the ship.

Once she laid her daughter down to rest, she heard the sounds of her husband shouting, and her son crying. Toph, not in the mood for any more crap today, walked past Haku and Kyo, who she could tell were both prepared to plaster Zuko to a wall, and spun her husband around. "What the hell is going on?!" she shouted, Zuko jumping backwards. "Our son won't open the damn door!" he shouted. Toph grabbed the leather strap out of Zuko's hands and glared at him. "Go talk to Iroh, now!" she shouted.

Zuko ignored her, until he started to speak again. "Why, so you can baby this..." Zuko managed to stop himself before the words flowed out. He stepped backwards, and stared at himself, then at his wife. "What the hell am I doing?" he asked, cringing as he heard his father's voice in his head. Toph sighed, then put the strap in his hands. "Put that up, then go talk to Iroh." she said, this time in a calmer, but still firm, tone. Zuko sighed, then nodded, gently kissing his wife on the lips. "I knew there was a reason I kept you around." he whispered, before walking off to find Iroh, stopping in front of Haku and Kyo.

Zuko dropped the leather strap into Kyo's hands. "Please, put that back in the weapon's hold, and if I ever raise that to either of my children again, put my through the wall, without hesitation." Zuko said calmly. Haku and Kyo both nodded, then watched as one parent went off to find his mentor, while another proceeded to discipline her son. "Remind me never to have children." Haku muttered, getting a small grin from her partner.

Meanwhile...

Zuko calmly walked into his uncle's chambers, bowing before the elder man. This got a raised eyebrow from Iroh. "You don't act this way unless things are bad. I heard about my grand-niece and nephew. Are they alright?" he asked, a worried look in his eyes. Zuko nodded. "They're fine. Ozai tried to see the Onagi up close, and I guess Aang's boy helped him. Also, I'm not sure, but I think Mia can earthbend as well as firebend. I'll know more later. Right now, Toph's handling Ozai, and that's what I wanted to talk to you about." he said, sighing deeply.

Iroh nodded his head. "I am listening, my nephew." he said. Slowly, Zuko spoke. "Well, it started once Aang got the boys back on land. It's hard to believe, but when Ozai ran to his room, I actually went down into the weapons hold, and got one of the leather straps used to sharpen the swords. I was actually going to whip my own son. I feel like such a monster." Iroh sighed. "Prince Zuko, raising a child is not an easy task. You must decide for yourself what you feel is the best way to get the child to understand he has done wrong, without injuring him."

"When your cousin, Lu Ten, was growing up, I punished him on a number of occassions, but never with an object, never in public, and never over a certain amount of times. But, just because that was how I parented, didn't make it right or wrong. In the end, the choices are your own. If you wish for your wife to take over the responsiability of being the disciplinarian, then there is no shame in it." he stated calmly.

Zuko nodded. "I understand, but, there's more to it then that. It wasn't the physical that worried me, as much as what I almost said to him. I heard my father's voice in my head, felt his words grasping at my throat. I don't know what to do. I thought, after all this time, I would finally have this thing under control, if not killed off, and I don't, and it scares me." at this, Zuko's lip quivered slightly. "I don't want my children to be raised the way I was raised. I want them to love me, not fear me, both of them." Zuko stated, trying his best to hold back tears.

Iroh smiled at Zuko. "You have already shown that you are more of a man then my brother ever was. You don't scold your children for being children. You don't hit them when they talk to you. You are _nothing_ like him. Of course, from time to time, you will hear him speaking to you. Your life was filled with tragedy and suffering, and that is something that will remain with you for the rest of your life. It is up to _you_ to fight it off. I know that, with your wife by your side, there is _nothing_ the two of you can not accomplish." he stated. Zuko stared at his uncle, listen to his words, then embraced him. "Thank you uncle. I needed that."

Iroh returned his nephew's embrace, then watched him leave. "Zuko, you are stronger than you know." he said softly, coughing slightly as soon as the door was shut. Iroh sighed, then stared into a mirror hanging on the wall, a man older, but wiser, staring back at him. "You will have to be."

Several hours later...

Mia awoke to her mother and father by her side, with Haku and Kyo standing outside her door. "Ow, my head." she groaned. "Thank the spirits. Can you stand dear?" Toph asked, taking her daughter's hand. "My head hurts. I'm hungry mama." Mia said. Zuko smiled at his daughter, then gave a nod to Kyo, who rushed off to the kitchen. "Well, it's good to see you're awake." he said. Mia slowly looked around the room. "Where's the onagi, and Ozai?" she asked. Zuko grinned. "Well, if you must know, the onagi is dead." he said proudly.

However, his grin faded when Mia started crying. "I killed it, didn't I? I was an accident. I didn't mean for it to happen." she said, sniffling and crying. Zuko cringed at his own stupidity, then sat down on the bed beside his daughter. "Honey, listen to me, you had no other choice. Thanks to you, your brother and Gyatso are both alive. I don't think either one of them will be sitting for a while, but they're ok. You did what you had to do Mia, and I'm proud of you for protecting your brother." he said calmly.

As her father's words came out, Mia calmed down. She still didn't like the idea of killing something, but she knew that she had no choice. Slowly, Mia hugged her father, getting his loving embrace in return. Once he released her, she rested her head on her pillow. "So, does this mean I can train with both of you?" she asked with the curiosity only a child can muster. Toph smiled proudly at her. "Of course dear, but for now, stay in bed, and you can see your friends later." she said. Mia hugged her mother, then laid back down. Toph gently kissed her daughter's forhead, then walked out of the room. "It's good to see you're alright, honey." she said. Zuko soon followed, giving her a soft smile.

Zuko and Toph walked back to their chambers, and almost collapsed. "Some day, huh?" Zuko asked. Toph chuckled. "Yeah. So, did you talk to Iroh?" she asked, a sternness in he voice. Zuko almost nodded, then remembered she was blind 'Great, Sokka-moment!' he thought to himself, stiffing a laugh. "Yes, and I'm sorry for my actions earlier. I should have remained calm, and not"  
Toph finished his statement. "turned into a complete asshole?" she asked, a smirk on her face.

Zuko chuckled at that statement. "Yeah." Toph gently wrapped her arms around Zuko's neck, pulled him down to her level, and kissed him. "It's ok. Next time, I'll just kick the crap out of you." she said with a chuckle. Toph giggled as Zuko's kisses worked their way down her neck. "Should we be doing this?" he asked. Toph rolled her eyes. "Kyo and Haku are watching the kids, the door is locked, Ozai is asleep in his room, what more do you need?" she asked a grin, licking her lips. Zuko grinned, then passionatly kissed Toph once more, laughing as she shoved him on to their bed.

TBC...


	5. Chapter 5

The Next Generation : Chapter 5 By: Juria Notes: Any characters you do not recognize in this story probably belong to me, unless you've never seen Avatar. Other than that, I'm done, so enjoy!

Intro: 3 months have passed since the Onagi incident. Slowly, Mia has begun training with her mother and father, while Ozai has begun one-on-one basics with his father. However, just a quickly as things come together, they begin to fall apart.

Toph sat in a chair in the living room, calmly sipping her tea, listening to all things around her, until she heard something that caused her to drop her cup, or, more accuratly, didn't hear something. "Zuko!" she shouted in a panic, hearing her husband enter the room. "It's Iroh." With that, Zuko ran like Agni herself was after him, even going as far to kick down the door to the guest home, only to find his uncle, no, his _father_, laying motionless on the floor. "Uncle!" he shouted, Kyo and Haku both bursting into the room, stances taken, but stopping once they saw Zuko, kneeling on the floor, holding his mentor, his father, his friend, in his arms, shaking and weeping.

Toph walked over to her husband, listening as Haku and Kyo stood between Ozai and Mia. "No, let them pass." she said. Haku sighed deeply, then glanced at Kyo, who nodded, then they stepped out of the way. The two children rushed into the room, only to find their father clinging to their mother's waist, weeping and shaking. Toph knelt down and hugged Zuko, tears streaming down her sightless eyes. Ozai, calmly, walked over to his father, and embraced him. Mia, on the other hand, wasn't so calm.

"Nonononononono!" she screamed, beating on her grandfather's chest. "Mia, stop it!" her father practically snarled at her, but Mia continued hitting on Iroh's chest. "No, he can't be gone! Come on grandpa, you've gotta get up!" she shouted, hammering on his chest. Suddenly, she felt Haku's hands on her shoulders, leading her away. Mia fought and struggled, but eventually fell, first into Haku's arms, then into her family's, crying along with them. "I'm sorry." she whispered to her father between sobs. Zuko tightly embraced her. "It's ok, everything's going to be ok."

Over the following weeks, family and friends tried to cope with the loss of Iroh, every single one of them attending the funeral, as Iroh was to be buried beside Lu Ten in Ba Sing Se. Even the most battle-hardened warrior turned into a mountain of tears as everyone comforted eachother. Stories were told, songs were sung, and enough tea was drank to fill an ocean twice over.

When the time came to go through belongings, and Iroh's will, Zuko freely gave without any possiabilty of return, and always with the best of intentions. Mai and Jet were given some of the older scrolls he had, a treasure trove of knowledge.

Sokka and Ty Lee were given half of the tea, and Sokka was personally given Iroh's old war armor, more sturdy and solid than any other Sokka had ever seen. Sokka wiped tears away as he accepted it.

To Aang and Katara, they were bestowed several rare artifacts from Iroh's travels, as well as some of his musical instruments. Aang's face lit up with child-like wonder, until he got a glance from Katara, then he calmly bowed and accepted his gifts.

Zuko and Toph kept only part of the tea collection, a few books of stories to pass on to their children, and a Sungi horn, which, every night, Zuko tried, slowly, to play.

TBC...

I know, it's filler, but, I've already got an idea for the next chapter. Here's a sample:

Toph dropped to her knees, the ground shaking along with her rage. "What do you mean my son is missing?!" she shreiked. Kyo gulped nervously. "We've searched the entire city and found nothing, my lady. We shall keep trying." he said, bowing and leaving the room. Toph huffed, kicked a wall, cursed, then buried her head in Zuko's chest, fighting back tears. "I already lost a father, I will _not_ lose a son."


	6. Chapter 6

The Next Generation : Chapter 6

By: Juria

Notes: Any characters you do not recognize in this story probably belong to me, unless you've never seen Avatar. Other than that, I'm done, so enjoy!

Zuko stared down at his son, having a hard time trying to explain the whole reason behind his father going with Aang, and more importantly, why he had to stay behind. "But daddy, I wanna go with you and Mimi." Ozai said in a pouting tone. Mia giggled from her spot on Appa's saddle. "Stop calling me Mimi, you little pain." she shouted down to him. Zuko sighed, like most things involving his son, this wasn't gonna be easy. "Ozai, I already told you twice today, you're not going with us. We're just making a quick run to Ba Sing Se, and we'll be home in a couple of days." Zuko knelt down, and hugged his son, who at this point, began sniffling and whimpering.

Toph reached down and took her son's hand. "Don't worry Ozai, you're not alone. Mommy's going to stay with you the whole time daddy's gone." She said reassuringly. Ozai gave his daddy a pouting look as he climbed on to Appa's saddle. " I wuv you daddy, and Mimi too." he shouted, waving his little hand until they were out of sight.

Zuko looked over at his daughter. "Mimi." he said with a chuckle. Mia couldn't contain her blush, which she tried to hide from Saito, Yin, and Takumi, who stifled a chuckle as well. "Thanks a lot dad." she muttered. After several hours of flying, they finally arrived at the entrance to the Earth Nation capital.  
After getting things in order, the travelers, weary as they were, set out to accomplish their first mission, before each set off for their personal reasons, to visit Iroh and Lu Ten.

After making the visit to Lu Ten and Iroh's graves, and paying their respects, the group retired to wherever they could sleep, some actually taking the offer of a hotel, while others slept in trees or on the ground. The next morning...

Mia opened the window and felt the sun's rays and warmth energize her. "Ah, this is such a beautiful city. I can't wait to go shopping." she declared happily. "Yeah, and the entire world gets to see your goods." Saito said with a grin from outside. Mia looked down, then covered her chest as she forgot she was still in her nightgown. "Saito, you pervert!" she shouted, not only slamming the window shut, but earthbending him into a tree.

Saito groaned as he slammed into the tree's trunk. "Damn, what a crank." he muttered, only to, much like his father, face karma's wrath as well, as a half-asleep Takumi fell out of the tree and landed right on top of him. Saito shoved the younger boy off of him with a groan. "This sucks."

After Mia's outburst managed to wake up everyone else, and she apologized a thousand times over, the kids set off in one direction, towards the markets, while each of the adults set off in a different direction, Aang to see the earth king, Sokka to vist his old sword-master ( AN: In this timeline, most of the stuff that normally happened in season 3, instead took place in Ba Sing Se. ), Jet to visit the reformed Dai Li training camps, and Zuko just picked a direction, and started walking, stopping to play a few games of Pai Sho with any who offered, until he finally reached his destination, the old tea shop, the one he and Iroh had started in Ba Sing Se, simple, and peaceful. "Welcome home Zuko." he said with a sigh.

Meanwhile...

Kyo paced back and forth, until Haku thought he was going to, literally, pave a hole in the earth. "Come on, you sent out a messanger hawk, and we've searched the grounds." she said calmly. "He'll turn up, soon." Kyo sighed. "Yes, but I haven't told Lady Toph. I thought I could handle this problem on my own." "Handle what problem?" Kyo gulped as he turned around. "Um, Lady Toph, I didn't see you there." he said nervously. Toph stared a hole through him, then nodded to Haku, who calmly left the room. Toph dropped to her knees, the ground shaking along with her rage. "What do you mean my son is missing?!" she shreiked. Kyo shuddered in fear. "We've searched the entire city and found nothing, my lady. We shall keep trying." he said, bowing.

Toph sighed deeply, then stared out the window. "Did the messenger hawk tell Zuko everything?" Kyo nodded. "Yes my lady. I am so sorry, I didn't mean for this to..." however, Toph cut him off "You want to earn my trust, my respect, stop feeling sorry for yourself and go bring my son back to me!" she bellowed. Kyo sighed deeply. "Yes Lady Toph." he said, bowing once again and leaving the room.

In Ba Sing Se...

However, as soon as he walked in, the owner recognized him. "Li, welcome back! It's so good to see you." the owner said, walking up to him and shaking his hand. "So, how have you been doing?" Zuko nervously smiled at him. "I've been doing well, thank you. Sadly, my uncle passed away, recently." as the two men chatted, Zuko couldn't help but notice a woman, sitting in the back corner of the room, a large hat and cape on, covering her face.

Quickly excusing himself, Zuko began to run after the woman as she left the building. Winding through corners, alleyways, and even leaping from one rooftop to another, Zuko finally managed to catch up with the woman. "Who are you?" he asked. A dagger flew past his head, pinning him by his clothes to a wall. The woman walked up to him, and pulled the dagger out, lifting up her hat as well. Zuko's jaw practically hit the floor. "You."

"It's been a long time, Prince Zuko." the lady said calmly. " I didn't expect to see you here. Now, why are you following me?" she asked, in a more demanding tone. "I'm sorry, you look like someone else." he stated. The lady laughed. "This is an odd turn of events. Usually, I am the one doing the chasing. Thngs have been about average these days. Of course, when it was mentioned that I had worked with General Iroh, and his nephew, I was considered a traitor to the fire nation, even though, I do not represent any nation."

Zuko nodded. "If you like, I think I still know some people who can have any bounty on your head removed. Now, just out of curiosity, what are you doing in Ba Sing Se Jun?" he asked. Jun smiled. "Just traveling through. I heard about your uncle, and I wanted to see for myself. In a lot of ways, that man was special to me, for the brief time that I knew him. I'm sorry for your loss." she said, calmly walking away. "Oh, and before I forget, there's been sightings of an older woman, dressed in a red cloak. I don't know why, but I just got this feeling I should tell you that." she said, giving a soft smile as she walked off.

Zuko sighed, then started walking back through the city, until a familiar hawk landed at his feet. "Hawkey?" he asked. The bird chirped and bobbed his head as if to nod, then gracefully walked up Zuko's arm. Zuko gently took the note from it's sheath on the hawk's ankle, then began reading it. "What?"

Several hours later...

The rest of the group returned to find Zuko sitting solomly, his pack slung over his shoulder. "We've got to return home." he said firmly, giving a nod to his daughter. Concern wrote itself all over Mia's face. "Dad, what's wrong?" Zuko sighed deeply. "Ozai's gone missing. Your mother sent us a messenger hawk." he stated. Turning to her friends, Mia fell apart into Yin's arms, soon being comforted by all of her friends. Even Saito gave her a gentle apology. Jet sighed. "Let's go." He said calmly.

Toph waited for what felt like forever until she heard Appa's familiar vibrations. She listened as her husband and child climbed off, hearing the well-wishes of their friends as they flew off. As soon as they walked through the door, Mia ran and embraced her mother. "Mom." she whispered, crying on her shoulder. Zuko sighed deeply. "So, how long has he been gone?" he asked. Kyo silently appeared behind him. "Um, almost two days, my lord. I apologize, we should have told you sooner." Zuko turned around, a look of bewilderment on his face. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Kyo lowered his head and stepped back from Zuko, while Haku calmly explained the situation. "The night master Ozai went missing, Kyo and I tried to find him on our own. We searched everywhere, all through Gaoling, and even managed to start a chain of information between ourselves and Han and Chan in Omashu. So far, all our efforts have failed. Please, forgive us." she begged, her head tilted down as a tear slowly rolled down her cheek.

Zuko glared at both of them, then closed his eyes, and calmed himself. "Thank you for all that you have done. If anyone hears anything, let us know at once." he stated. Haku nodded. "Of course, Lord Zuko." She said, walking out. Kyo, however, remained behind, simply holding out his hand, then dropping a small kunai with a piece of paper attached to it. "This was found a short while ago. Again, Lord Zuko, I apologize." he said. Zuko nodded as he took the kunai, then Kyo faded into the shadows.

Zuko carefully ran his fingers over the strange symbols on the paper, then handed it to Toph. "I can't figure this thing out." he said. Toph felt for each symbol, carefully reading each line outloud. "5 years left." she finally stated. Zuko raised an eyebrow to her statement. "How did you figure that out?" Toph grinned. "I remember when my mother tried to get me to read like this. I memorized the entire alphabet, then quit because it got boring." she said with a smile. Zuko sighed. "I wonder, who sent us that letter." Toph glared at it, then crumpled the kunai into a worthless hunk of metal. "I don't know, but whoever it is, I'm going to find them."

After a few hours, Mia said her good-nights to her parents, then raced upstairs to her room, crashing out on her bed. Once she was sure her daughter was asleep, Toph huffed, kicked a wall, cursed, then buried her head in Zuko's chest, fighting back tears. "I already lost a father, I will _not_ lose a son." she said in a determined tone. Zuko held her tightly. "Don't worry, we'll find him. And as for Mia, well, she can start training with you tomorrow." Toph nodded, then slowly walked over to their bedroom.

TBC...

Next Chapter:  
"What?!" Mia shouted, her brain racing with fear and excitement all at the same time. Toph smiled gently at her daughter. "You heard me. I think you're ready for a real challenge. You've already gone beyond your father's firebending. Heck, you can shoot white flames, something no other firbender has been able to do, and your eartbending skills are fantastic. Trust me, you're ready for this." she stated, flashing her trademark grin. Mia sighed. "Ok, mom, if you think I'm ready, then I'll do it. I'll sign up for the Earth Rumble tournament."


	7. Chapter 7

The Next Generation : Chapter 7

By: Juria

Notes: Any characters you do not recognize in this story probably belong to me, unless you've never seen Avatar. Other than that, I'm done, so enjoy! Updated Ages: Mia : ( Toph and Zuko's daughter ) 12, Hitome : ( Sokka and Ty Lee's daughter ) 11 , Saito : ( Sokka and Ty Lee's son ) 15, Takumi : ( Mai and Jet's son ) 13 , Yin : ( Aang and Katara's daughter ) 13, Gyatso and Ozai : ( Aang and Katara's, and Toph and Zuko's sons respectively ) 8.

Over the next three years, Mia trained even more diligently than before under both of her parents, her friends and their parents cheering her on, at times, Aang having horror flashbacks of his own training, but keeping silent, knowing Toph wouldn't push her to do anything she herself wouldn't do at that age. Katara, on the other hand, voiced her opinion, as Gyatso and Yin left the room. "You wannna repeat that, Suger Queen?" Toph asked, storming over to Katara and getting right in her face.

"Look Toph, all I'm saying is, that technique is too advanced. Mia could hurt herself, or even worse, literally, bring the whole house down. Do you really want that?" she asked. Toph glared at her. "Listen Suger Queen, I'm not some pay-by-the-hour teacher, I'm the greatest earthbender in the world, period. I wouldn't make my own daughter perform any technique I couldn't counter, or at least help her stop. Besides, this is big talk coming from someone who mostly throws all of the training of their children on the father!"

At this point, Aang tried to step between them, but was stopped by Katara's finger, pointed right at Toph. "Listen here, you pint-sized egomaniac, just because my husband is The Avatar doesn't mean I throw all of the work on him. We both work with our children. At least we can keep track of our children, that's for damn sure!" she shouted, then put her hand over her mouth, watching as everyone left the room, leaving the two ladies in silence.

For a brief moment, they said nothing, then, Katara broke the silence. "Toph, I'm so sorry. I don't know what it's like to have one of my children go missing. He's out there, and you'll find him, I promise you." she said, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. However, Toph grabbed her hand, shoved her backwards into the wall, and began swinging at her, not hard, just in frustration. "It's not right. He was _my_ son, _my_ responsiability, and I failed him. I failed him, I failed him, I fucking failed him!" Toph fell to her knees, sobbing and slamming her fist into the ground. Katara just hugged her old friend, her sister, doing the best she could to comfort her, knowing that Toph's wounds ran deeper than anything she could heal.

3 months later...

Toph sat across the table, her daughter at the other end of the table, a much calmer atmosphere than what had occured in the courtyard three months ago. Katara took a glance at Toph, who, even though she hid it well, had a plan brewing, a plan she had discussed with all the girls earlier, and now, she planned to suprise her daughter with that plan. Mia, on the other hand, didn't take it so calmly.

"What?!" Mia shouted, her brain racing with fear and excitement all at the same time. Toph smiled gently at her daughter. ⌠You heard me. I think you're ready for a real challenge. You've already gone beyond your father's firebending. Heck, you can shoot white flames, something no other firbender has been able to do, and your eartbending skills are fantastic. Trust me, you're ready for this." she stated, flashing her trademark grin. Mia sighed. "Ok, mom, if you think I'm ready, then I'll do it. I'll sign up for the Earth Rumble tournament."

The next day...

Mia's hands shook with a nervous energy. She was dressed in an outfit that all the mothers and her friends had made, a dark red and dark green costume similar to the one her mother was wearing, except that instead of shorts, she had long pants, with traditional Fire Nation pointed boots with the bottoms cut out, and her black wrist bands had long dragons on each one, a red one on the right, a green one on the left, her hair pinned back in a ponytail. Zuko still couldn't shake the feeling that, somehow, she looked so close to Azula.

As Mia placed her money on the table, she looked around at the large Earth Rumble arena, watching as the other competitors entered, some older than her, some around her age. As she saw the big, muscle-bound men and women, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous. "Just relax, most of the big guys are all talk." her mother said with a smile. Of course, watching one of the larger guys pick up a huge rock and crush it with his bare hands didn't help much.

"Name." Came the gruff voice of the score keeper, snapping Mia out of her senses. "Huh?" The score keeper repeated again, this time with a bit of an annoyance in his voice. "Name." Mia thought for a few seconds, before glancing at both of her parents, then mentally nodding to herself. "The Red Dragon Bandit." she said with confidence. The score keeper marked it down, then Mia checked her place on the line-up.

"So, who's the first victim?" Yin asked with a giggle. Saito, Gyatso, and Takumi all took their seats, each hoping to be in perfect cheering position. Mia looked through the line-up, then found her name, and couldn't help but giggle at the name under hers. "Boulder Jr?" she said with a giggle. Hitome gave her a hug for luck, then the two girls ran off the join the rest of the group. Toph, on the other hand, quickly found the man she had been looking for, in his office, preparing to announce.

"Long time, no see old man." she said with a smirk. Xin Fu scoffed when he heard the familiar voice, it was older, but still unforgettable. "The same could be said of you, Blind Bandit." he said with a chuckle. "So, why are you here? I mean, I'd heard rumors that your daughter had entered the tournament, but, aside from cheering her on, there's no reason for you to be here. Tonight's tournament is for prize money and fame, nothing else." he couldn't help but still smile at her. "So, what are you planning?" Toph stopped just before leaving his office, flashing her smirk, sending a chill down Xin Fu's spine. "Trust me, you'll see."

Mia slowly made her way up to the arena floor, her friend cheers being mixed in with the cheers of others as her name was announced, "The Red Dragon Bandit!". Mia, in the tradition of both of her parents, gave a quick wave, then cracked her neck, patiently waiting on the arrival of her opponent. Then, she spotted him, heading up the ramp. He was about her age, maybe a little bit older, wearing a gold and green half-tunic, meaning he was shirtless, and he wasn't badly built, wait a minute, stop drooling over the enemy!

Mia shook her head, clearing all weird thoughts, as the kid on the other side announced who he was, and bantered on about how bad he was. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the winner of this match, because as we all know, girls can't fight, Boooouuullldddder JR!" a cocky smirk crossed his face in mid-pause, soaking up the mixed reaction from the crowd "JR!"

The Boulder sat in the crowd, hooting and cheering for his son. "The Boulder does not doubt Boulder Jr's confidence, and has even smaller doubts of him succeding. After all, this girl is not blind, so there for, she must not be that big of a threat." he bosted. However, his remarks were met with shouts from a few rows over. The Boulder stood up to meet this challange, but was frozen in his tracks when he saw his old allie's face, Toph calmly waving at him after her husband had pointed him out, while the three boys all shouted boos and started a "you can't earthbend" chant aimed at the arrogent Boulder Jr. The Boulder cringed, fully aware that his son, while powerful and arrogent, was sunk.

Mia smirked as the announcer shouted for the match to begin, and closed her eyes. "Look, the little girl's closing her eyes, she's so scared." Boulder Jr mocked from the other side of the ring, before slamming both of his fists down and forward, sending a rock wave right at Mia, looking to instantly knock her out. However, Mia calmly side-stepped, turned the wave back towards Boulder Jr, and, for added pain, shifted her foot down and slightly to the right, then the left, bringing a piller of earth right between Boulder Jr's legs. Boulder Jr doubled over in pain, holding his groin, just in time to get hit with his own earth wave, engulfing him and slamming him out of the ring. Mia opened her eyes, raising her fists in the air as Xin Fu's voice announced her the winner. This was going to be easy.

Toph listened as Mia won match after match, advancing with a lightening speed, each opponent falling to her calm, simple, and powerful manuvers. 'It's almost time.' she thought, a grin on her face. Mia opened her eyes, watching as "The Lightening Kid" hit the arena floor. This was it, she'd made it to the final match, her adrenaline rushing like crazy. Now, she knew what her mother ment by "there's nothing like it". Mia looked out in the crowd, spotting her friends and family, giving them a small smile, then watching as Gyatso, Takumi, and Saito argued over who she'd smiled at, blushing as her eyes gazed at Saito a second time.

However, she quickly threw it to the back of her mind as she saw her opponent, "The Blue Demon", walk over to the other side. The instant Xin Fu said "begin", Mia knocked "The Blue Demon" out of the ring in one quick, and fast, manuver. As Xin Fu raised her hand, Mia gave out a shout of glee, the thrill of being announced the winner filled her with pride. At the same time, she knew, she wasn't done yet. There was still the open challange. Xin Fu pointed at Mia, giving her a nod of reassurance that her work was done for the night. "Who will dare to challange our new champion?!" he shouted. While many cheered, no one made a move. "What, no one can stand up to our champion?" Xin Fu asked, try to goad an easy one for her.

Unfortunatly, the answer to the challange, not only made Xin Fu's jaw hit the floor, but filled Mia with fear and true intimidation. She watched, in slow-motion, as the challanger earthbended the stairs from the middle row into a ramp, then reformed them once they hit the bottom. Then, they earthbended the arena floor to create a bridge, resetting it once they got to the other side. Mia gulped nervously. "Mom?" Toph cracked her neck, then tossed the belt to one of the number-girls. "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a real treat, and a shock for us all, but it appears The Blind Bandit has returned!" he shouted, cheers erupting from all around the arena. If it had a roof, it would have just blown off. Toph smirked at her daughter. "Are you ready?"

TBC...

Next Chapter:

After what felt like forever, Zuko couldn't believe his eyes. Here they were, back at one of the biggest points in his life, the crossroads of his own destiny, and he was watching, frozen in time, as history repeated itself, but instead of it being through him, it was through another.


	8. Chapter 8

The Next Generation : Chapter 8

By: Juria

Notes: Any characters you do not recognize in this story probably belong to me, unless you've never seen Avatar. Other than that, I'm done, so enjoy!

Mia was frozen with fear, unsure of what her mother was thinking. However, all doubt was thrown to the back of Mia's mind as her mother sent several pillars of earth towards her, causing her to throw up an earth wall and jump backwards. "Mom, what are you thinking?!" she shouted, her adrenaline rushing. Toph grinned as she sent another wave at her daughter, listening as she covered up, not even fighting back. "Come on Mia, I know you're stronger than this! You're holding back!" she shouted, unleashing another barrage, driving Mia closer to the edge.

Sweat ran like a river down Mia's brow as she hid, confused and scared. "Mother, why are you doing this?!" she shouted. Toph sighed. "I want you to have the best challange you can get, and honey, I'm it, now fight like your life depended on it or I'll knock you off!" she shouted. Mia sighed, exhaled, and took a quick glance around. Spotting her opening, she took it, running forwards, causing her mother to launch another pillar at her.

This time, however, Mia used the force of the pillar to launch herself into the air, using her firebending to rocket herself over her mother's head. Toph gave a smirk as she heard her daughter land, then both girls performed the same manuver at the same time, each knocking the other backwards and out of the ring. As Xin Fu started to declare the match a draw, he was suddenly stopped, as both Toph and Mia earthbended a platform on the outside, each trying, in the confined space, to knock the other off.

For each manuver Mia made, Toph had a counter for, and vise-versa. The two combatants continued to elevate their platforms, getting almost twice as high as the ring, until both finally stopped. Toph chuckled at her daughter. "You're good, really good." she said. Mia smiled at her mom. "But you're still the best." she said. Toph smiled, then elevated a second platform up to her level. "You win." she said, stepping on to the platform, then forcing it back into the ground as fast as she could, giving Xin Fu no choice to declare Mia the winner.

However, that wasn't the announcement she heard. "Ladies and Gentlemen, this match is declared a draw!" Toph's jaw hit the floor, how in the hell did Mia lose? Then, she heard it, the sound of Mia's footsteps. Toph shook her head as she felt her daughter walk over to her. "You still want this belt?" she asked. Mia smiled warmly and hugged her mother. "I'll win it from you some other time." she said with a giggle.

One year later...

Toph sat with a blank stare, listening as the wind whispered into her ears. '4 years.' she thought, her train of thought interrupted by the sound of footsteps. She stopped Kyo before he could answer it. "No, I've got it, but be on your guard." she said, slowly opening the door, Kyo's hands twitching at the ready. However, the instant Toph opened the door, Kyo's hands returned to their original position, while he ran off to fetch Zuko. Something about this new arrival urged him to.

"Does Prince Zuko live at this house?" the woman asked. Toph could tell by the tone of her voice that she was no threat, and calmly let her in. "Alright, who are you, and what do you want with my husband?" Toph asked. Mia came running into the room, and suddenly came to a screeching halt. "Mom, who's this?" she asked. The older woman slowly walked over to Mia, knelt down, and gently brushed her hair out of her eyes. "You look so much like Azula." she said, calmly smiling.

Mia slowly backed away from the woman as her father entered the room, then watched as the woman stood up, lifted her hood, and her father broke down. "Mom?" Zuko asked, his lip quivering. The woman walked over to Zuko, then embraced him. "Zuko, my son, you're alive." Ursa whispered, holding her son for the longest time, then stepping back, and taking in the fact that her son had grown up. "Mom, this is my wife, Toph." Zuko said, standing beside his wife.

Toph gently took Ursa's hand. "So, you're the one who raised this stubborn jackass?" Toph asked bluntly, causing Zuko's jaw to drop, until he heard his mother's familiar laugh. "So, Zuko, is everyone in your family this honest?" she asked with a chuckle. Mia, on the other hand, was staring at Ursa with a puzzled look. "Dad, who is this?" she asked. Ursa turned to face the young girl. "I am Fire Lady Ursa, but I guess you can call me Grandmother Ursa." she said with a soft smile.

Mia raised her eyebrows. "What are you hiding?" she asked, looking less in the direction of Ursa, and more in the direction of her own parents. Zuko walked over to his daughter. "We had ment to tell you when you'd gotten older, but I guess there's no hiding it." he said with a deep sigh. Toph echoed his sigh, then flopped down into a chair. "Ok, let's open up the can of worms." she muttered. Over the next several hours, Mia was flooded with all the information, her father's past, her mother's past, all of it.

Needless to say, she wasn't taking it well. "Why did you lie to me?!" Mia asked, tears in her eyes. Zuko reached out to offer a gental hand on her shoulder, but Mia jerked away. "No. I hate you, I hate all of you!" she shouted, crying as she ran up to her room and slammed the door. Zuko and Ursa shared a look of concern, while Toph just sighed, sprang up from her seat, and stormed out of the room, cursing all the while. Ursa tilted her head down. "Zuko, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned anything." she said. "It's good to see you again mother." Zuko said, his mother giving him an assuring nod as she walked up the stairs to find Mia's room, and to, hopefully, explain the situation to her grand-daughter.

Suddenly, to top all things off, Haku appeared out of the shadows, her hands outstretched. "Master Zuko, we have found another kunai, and another note." she said. Zuko calmly took the kunai from her, then gave a nod as she disappeared into the shadows. "Toph!" Zuko listened as he heard his wife tiptoe down the steps, a smile on her face as she walked into the room. "Looks like Grandma made everything better." she said with a small giggle.

However, the instant Zuko handed her the paper, the smile left her face. "Damn." she muttered, carefully reading the three simple words. "One year remains." As the cryptic words escaped her lips, Toph fell to her knees, shaking and crying. "Dammit, I want my son back!" she screamed, sobbing as her husband held her.

One year later...

Mia nervously got on to Appa's saddle, giving nods to all of her friends. As Ursa introduced herself to everyone, the events from the past year, to that very morning, ran over and over in Mia's head. The truth about her family's past, how even her father was in shock when her grandmother had told him that, unlike Azula, he was Iroh's second son. She recalled how her mother and father had fought on different sides of a war, how there was more to Aang being the Avatar than just his bending abilities, all of it. Then, her mind raced to a couple of days ago, how they had recieved yet another kunai, this time with a letter

"It's time. To see your son again, meet me at the crossroads of your destiny Prince Zuko. I'll be waiting.

Sincerly, An Old Family Member"

Zuko gave a sigh as he stared out at the vast desert, the earth kingdom capital, once a place of peace, now felt like a prison, one that he had to break his son out of, no matter what it took. Mia breathed deeply, trying not to dwell on her brother, but each time she closed her eyes, all she saw was Ozai, his smiling face, his peaceful laugh. Saito calmly blew the hair out of his face, remaining quiet the entire trip. He was nervous, but hid it well. Giving a soft grunt as Appa landed, the group piled out, the adults surrounding the kids.

"Everyone, stay on your guard, and don't get seperated." Aang said, getting nods from all involved. The groups slowly began working their way through winding tunnels, Toph and Aang leading the way, until at last, they spread out into a massive room, filled with ancient crumbling buildings, massive green crystals, and above all, a large burn spot, almost a crater. Aang and Zuko shared a small chuckle. "It's still here."

As Zuko's mind wandered, so did his eyes, first around the room, then to each individual pillar, then to a pair of eyes, peering back at him. "Up there!" he shouted, drawing his dao swords and pointing into the shadows. As the rest of the group clustered behind Zuko and Aang, they watched as a woman in her late 20s stepped out of the shadows. "Nice to see you again, Prince Zuko, or is it, Zuzu?" she asked with a smirk. Ursa's jaw dropped in shock. "Azula?" she asked, her lip quivering.

The woman smiled, even filling her nails. "I don't think so, mom. You don't remember me, do you?" she asked, licking her lips. Ursa pondered for a few minutes, before covering her mouth and gasping "Azurai?". The smirk grew on her face. "Hello mother, long time, no see." she said, giving a giggle. Zuko glared at her. "Where's Ozai?!" Zuko demanded. Azurai shook her head. "Now now Zuzu, there's no need to shout. He's right here." she said, stepping to the side.

As soon as Toph heard her son's footsteps, she ran forward, only to be blocked by Aang's staff. "Move it Twinkletoes, or I swear to the gods you will regret it!" she shouted. However, something else stopped her, a feeling in her gut. "Ozai, honey, come on down." she pleaded, her eyes, she hoped, looking towards her son. Ozai stepped into the light, his hair oddly clean, but wearing the traditional Fire Nation armor. Zuko's eyes shifted slightly, from his son, to Azurai, then back to Ozai. "Ozai, come on son, it's time to go home."

At this point, Ozai's eyes widened, and he smiled, but it wasn't a normal smile, it was darker, more sinister. Zuko watched as his son made the motion, frozen as he saw the lightening erupt from his finger tips, and barely had time to leap between the lightening stream and Toph. As Zuko redirected the lightening stream into a rock wall, everyone lept back in shock. Zuko looked back at his son, huffing as his own finger tips stung from the manuver. "What the hell are you doing?!" he bellowed.

Ozai stared down at his father, a smug grin on his face. "Father, I _am_ home. Aunt Azurai told me the truth, about your treachery, about how you murdered my namesake, and above all, about my and my sister's rightful place as rulers of the Fire Nation! And over the past five years, trained me to become the next fire lord, better than you, better than Mia, better than any other firebender in the world!"

Toph, at this point, had had enough. "That's it! I'm gonna come up there and kick your ass myself!" she shouted, shooting a pillar of earth at her own son, which was suddenly torn to shreds by several weapons. As mothers, daughters, fathers, and sons got into their fighting stances, Ozai was suddenly surrounded by a group of five children, who were quickly surrounded by a group of 50 Yan Yu archers, and two adults, both of whom made Mai and Ty Lee's jaws drop. "Long time, no see girls." the two ladies said in unison, before the small army spread out, blocking off the group's exit.

"There's no where to go, we're surrounded on all sides." Ty Lee said in a panic. Sokka flashed her a smile as he drew his sword. "We're not alone either." he said, glancing upward. As Sokka finished his statement, several waves of Dai Li descended from the ceiling, all surrounding the group, each willing to fight and die for them. "Not to worry Lady Toph, we have everything under control." Haku said reassuringly. Azurai grinned as she saw the Dai Li. "Ok, the game is over, you can come out now." she said. Mai glared as she watched the traitor leave, towards Azurai.

After what felt like forever, Zuko couldn't believe his eyes. Here they were, back at one of the biggest points in his life, the crossroads of his own destiny, and he was watching, frozen in time, as history repeated itself, but instead of it being through him, it was through another. "I should have known." Kyo smirked as he stood beside Azurai. " I am sorry Master Zuko, truely I am, but Lady Azurai offered me a better deal. Now, all who wish to follow Lady Azurai into the future, join us!" he declared.

One by one, half of the Dai Li turned on their own partners. Haku glared at Kyo, her eyes piercing his soul, and for a moment, he actually felt guilt. "I'm sorry." he mouthed to her. Haku spat on the ground in front of her. "You bastard." she snarled, then turned back towards Lady Mia. "We'll cover your escape, get out of here." she said. Mia gave her a longing stare as she ran, her friends and family following, the Dai Li standing between the small army and their targets. Ozai smiled at Kyo, then glared at Haku. "Let them run for now, we'll have some fun with the leftovers." he said, closing his fist, the last thing Haku saw before her world turned into a warzone.

TBC...

Next Chapter: Takumi stared up in shock at his best friend, then he calmly pulled his father's swords out of the sand, rising to his feet. "Alright, you're serious. You want me, you got me." he stated, then charged to meet his friend, blades clashing and giving off sparks in the moonlight.


	9. Chapter 9

The Next Generation : Chapter 9 By: Juria Notes: Any characters you do not recognize in this story probably belong to me, unless you've never seen Avatar. Other than that, I'm done, so enjoy! Updated Ages: Mia : ( Toph and Zuko's daughter ) 14, Hitome : ( Sokka and Ty Lee's daughter ) 13 , Saito : ( Sokka and Ty Lee's son ) 17, Takumi : ( Mai and Jet's son ) 15 , Yin : ( Aang and Katara's daughter ) 15, Gyatso and Ozai : ( Aang and Katara's, and Toph and Zuko's sons respectively ) 10.

Once she had stopped running, Mia managed to get a look at her surroundings. She didn't even remember the flight on Appa, across the sea, to here, a deserted island. She just remembered running, running until her legs hurt, until she couldn't run any more. Mia fell on her knees into the sand, letting the past few hours sink in. "Ozai, why?" she muttered.

Saito calmly stood in the shadows, watching the glances between his sister and Takumi, his hands twitching, wanting to reach out and knock him out. How dare he hurt his sister one minute, and become the object of her affection the next. He wouldn't allow this union to go un-challenged. However, now was not the time.

"Is everyone alright?!" Sokka finally managed to ask, once he stopped shaking. He was quickly answered with an erupting argument between Jet and Zuko, Aang trying to maintain the peace. "Smooth move, Zuko. Thanks to you two, the little brat turned out much worse than his namesake, good job." Jet said sarcastically. Zuko glared at him. "What did you say?" "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult the two worst parents in the history of our world!" Jet bellowed.

At this, Toph interrupted Zuko. "WHAT?!" she shrieked, stomping towards Jet. Thankfully, Katara and Mai both had gotten between them, while Longshot and Aang tried to calm Jet down. "Come on Aang, you know it's true. Maybe if Zuko would have disciplined his son once in a while, this wouldn't have happened!" he shouted. Zuko's eyes narrowed, and he walked as close to Jet as he could get, ignoring Smellerbee, Saito, and even his own daughter, who were all trying to avoid this conflict. "You don't know a damn thing about raising a child yourself, so why don't you just back the fuck off, right now." Zuko said firmly. Jet pushed himself as close as her could get, his eyes locking with Zuko's. "Make me."

Enraged, Zuko leapt into the air, over everyone's head, crashing into Jet. The two men rolled around in the sand, exchanging punches, Jet dodging the occasional fireball, until they scrambled to their feet. Both men wiped the blood from their lips, then got into their fighting stances once again, only this time, a wave of water came crashing towards them, freezing both of them to a rock wall. Katara stood with her arms crossed, glaring at both of them with a stare both Yin and Gyatso knew all too well. "What is the matter with you two?! You're friends, you should save this macho male-ego bullshit for the enemy, not eachother!"

Jet and Zuko glared at eachother, then Zuko huffed, melting the ice surrounding him, and threw one last fireball at Jet, this one melting his ice-prison. As Jet fell into the sand, he stared up at Zuko, who offered his hand in friendship. Jet sighed, then grasped his friend's wrist, lifting himself off to his feet. "Almost had you." he said with a chuckle. Zuko shook his head and laughed. "Yeah." Katara, meanwhile, still had her arms crossed, and the glare on her face. "So, are you two boys done fighting, or do I have to get Toph over here too?" she asked in a tone that made Yin cringe. The two men nodded in agreement, then each went off to apologize to their respective wives, hoping they wouldn't tear their heads off too badly.

However, as one fight ended, another fight was brewing, as Saito watched Takumi get closer to his sister, clutching his father's sword in one hand, and Jet's swords in the other. "Now, now is the time." He said to himself, before standing up on the hill and glaring down at his rival. "Takumi! I challenge you!" he shouted. Takumi stared up at his friend with a confused glance, while Hitome had a puzzled look on her face. "Come on Saito, this game's getting old." Takumi said with a chuckle. He stopped laughing once the look of horror engraved itself on Hitome's face. "What is it?" Takumi asked, more confused than anything else. Hitome glared up at her brother. "Saito, why now?" she asked, tears in her eyes as she ran to her father.

Takumi's lips curled in a snarl. "Saito, what the hell is she talk about?!" Saito's eyes narrowed as he threw Jet's swords in front of Takumi, then smirked at him. "You'll see, soon enough." Takumi stared up in shock at his best friend, then he calmly pulled his father's swords out of the sand, rising to his feet. "Alright, you're serious. You want me, you got me." he stated, then charged to meet his friend, blades clashing and giving off sparks in the moonlight.

Meanwhile...  
Ozai strode through the halls of the Fire Nation stronghold, gazing from time to time at his soldiers as they scraped and clawed, trying to unearth the former great castle of the fire lord. He watched as his elite team of bodyguards bowed, and rose before him, their leader speaking. "We've checked the surrounding areas as you requested, Fire Lord Ozai, and any prying eyes were either captured, or are currently working on resurrecting the castle." the young warrior said, his curved blades hanging by his side. Ozai smirked with a sick pleasure in his eyes. "Thank you Tao, you and the rest of your team may leave me now." he said, motioning them out the nearby door. Tao stopped as his foot touched the outside area of the door, then withdrew it back in. "Sire, permission to speak freely?" he asked.

Ozai raised his eyebrows quizzically, but nodded. "Of course Tao. You are, after all, my most trusted friend." the young fire lord said with a reassuring nod. Tao's hands nervously twitched for a few minutes as he spoke. "With all respect, Fire Lord Ozai, I can understand, in Ba Sing Se, why you turned on your family, but why attack your own mother? Would it not have been more impactful to attack the former Fire Lady instead?" Ozai pondered his friend's question for a few brief moments. "Because, my dear friend, it wouldn't have sent as strong a message if I had killed my grandmother. All it would have done was enrage my father, and while I feel I can destroy him, I am not ready to fight him, yet." he said with a smug smile.

As Tao started to leave, the young fire lord placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tao, my friend, as you see before you, everything I do has a purpose. If I hadn't attacked my mother, then the message wouldn't be sent, loud and clear, I will stop at _nothing_ to obtain my birthright." Ozai chuckled, then playfully patted his friend on the shoulder. "Not to worry, you and your friends and family will be handsomely rewarded for your efforts, I promise you. As for my family, I have made the choice perfectly clear, join me, or die."

Meanwhile...

Sparks flew as Saito and Takumi's blades locked, Saito pressing harder and harder with each strike. "Why are you doing this?!" Takumi shouted. Saito responded with a second swing, then a quick kick to the ribs, sending the younger boy falling backwards. "I'm doing this for my sister Takumi, you should never have gotten involved!" he shouted, thrusting downward, the blade aiming for Takumi's head, but missing by inches. Takumi countered by bringing both of his feet into Saito's chest, then rolling out of the way as he came crashing into the sand.

Sokka and Ty Lee watched in a panic as Hitome came running up them, a nagging feeling in Sokka's gut telling him things weren't right. Somehow, he prayed to the spirits that he was wrong. "Mom, dad, Saito challenged Takumi! What do we do?!" she asked, panicking and crying. Katara's eyes widened at those words. "What? I thought you had to be 18 in order to challenge someone." she said with a puzzled glance to Sokka. Mai and Jet both glared at Sokka. "Ok, can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?!" Mai asked, her hands telling her to pin Sokka to the wall.

Sokka sighed deeply. "In the water tribe, there is one rule that not even the highest chief can overrule, the challenge of a sibling. It's used to determine if the younger sister or brother can date, or even be with, a suitor. Usually, it's not even necessary, unless the suitor in question happens to be an outsider, then it's practically demanded. Recently, there were only two other challenges in the entire water tribe's history, north or south, the involved an outsider." he said, cocking his head towards Zuko and Aang, who simply nodded. "It's a brutal fight, both warriors use no bending, fighting with whatever martial arts they know. I barely survived it." Zuko explained. At those last cryptic words, Mai covered her mouth in shock, while Jet's glare burned a hole through Sokka. "Is there anything we can do?" he asked, comforting his wife. Sokka shook his head. "No, the law states that any interference results in both combatants deaths, and with the way Saito respects our heritage, I wouldn't put it past him."

At this point, Mai let her daggers fly, pinning Sokka against the stone wall, then she walked towards him, one more dagger in her hand. When she reached him, she held it against his throat. "Can you promise me that my son will not die?" she asked, tears in her eyes. Sokka nodded. "I give you my word." With that, Mai pulled her knives out from the wall, giving a small chuckle as she heard Sokka hit the ground. Ty Lee looked at her old friend with a pleading "forgive me" look, and Mai calmly nodded. "So, what happens now?" Jet asked. Sokka looked out at the flickers of clashing blades in the moonlight. "Now, we wait."

TBC...

Next Chapter: Mai stared at the broken body, floating in the water, chest barely rising and falling. "But, this is impossible." she said with a quizzical stare, until Zuko and Aang lifted the weakened woman from the water. Then, she saw her face, and there was no denying it. "Azula." was the last word she said before fainting into darkness.

AN: Unfortunatly, until a friend of mine gets me the names she's creating for some of my characters, after this chapter, I can't go any further. Trust me, it's not over, just on a bit of a break. Enjoy!


	10. Chapter 10

The Next Generation : Chapter 10

By: Juria

Notes: Any characters you do not recognize in this story probably belong to me, unless you've never seen Avatar. Also, I know the fight scene ends kinda quickly, but I just don▓t feel like going any farther into it. Trust me, the next chapter will make up for it. Other than that, I'm done, so enjoy! Updated Ages: Mia : ( Toph and Zuko's daughter ) 14, Hitome : ( Sokka and Ty Lee's daughter ) 13 , Saito : ( Sokka and Ty Lee's son ) 17, Takumi : ( Mai and Jet's son ) 15 , Yin : ( Aang and Katara's daughter ) 15, Gyatso and Ozai : ( Aang and Katara's, and Toph and Zuko's sons respectively ) 10.

The group of parents and children watched as blades clashed in a flurry of sparks in the moonlight, Gyatso having to be held back by his father, who in turn had to hold himself back. With a simple motion, he could have ended the fighting, but there was always the possibility that he could make it worse. A calm, firm stare came over Aang as he watched Saito and Takumi perform the ancient dance of battle.

Takumi grunted as his swords locked with Saito▓s blade. ⌠Saito, you▓re overreacting, calm down!■ he shouted, getting a snarl from his opponent, who responded by raising both swords above their heads and kicking Takumi down. Saito lunged forward, Takumi barely avoiding the thrust aimed for his head, spinning both his legs in a circular motion, sending Saito reeling as he righted himself. This time, it was Takumi who was on the attack, charging forward, crossing his father▓s swords in front of him, forcing Saito to struggle against his own sword. ⌠Why are you doing this?!■ Takumi shouted.

Saito glared at him. ⌠Because you hurt my sister. You have no right to be with her!■ he snarled, shoving Takumi off of him. Takumi took advantage of the situation, kicking sand into the elder boy▓s eyes, following up with a quick knee to the jaw, forcing Saito to drop his sword as he staggered backwards. As Takumi leapt into the air, swords aimed for Saito▓s shoulders, Saito ducked low and rolled, coming up behind Takumi and striking the pressure points in his arms, causing him to instantly drop his swords.

As Saito reached for his sword, Takumi kicked him hard between the legs, then leapt on his head, pressing all of his weight on Saito while wrapping his legs around his neck. Saito struggled to break free, but as he began to pass out, he realized how much he had underestimated his younger opponent. Then, just as quickly as the darkness had begun to consume him, Saito gave a gasp as air filled his lungs, coughing as his rubbed his throat. He looked around wearily, and saw Hitome comforting Takumi, while his mother unlocked his arms. Then, he saw his father, a firm glare glance of anger on his face. ⌠You lost.■ he said. Saito nodded, knowing what came next.

Slowly, Saito got to his feet, and staggered over to Takumi, who was resting up against a rock. His mother shot him an equal glare, and he knew they were both going to tear into him later. However, this was here and now. Fighting back the pain that wracked his body, Saito sighed, then extended his hand to Takumi. Takumi slowly mustered the strength to return the gesture, and found himself lifted off the ground and in a hug by Saito. ⌠I was wrong.■ he said softly.

As the hug was released, Takumi nodded, giving the best bow he could, falling back and resting against the same rock that, just moments ago, he was fighting for his life on. He understood what this was, Saito testing him, and he had passed, despite being unable to wield a sword. Saito grinned as he watched Hitome tend to Takumi, then the thought hit him ⌠Brother-In-Law■ he said with a snicker, shaking his head as he walked to his tent.

Mai walked over to her son, her concern subsiding as she watched the two boys interact, then gave a nod to Sokka, who stormed off behind his son. Jet picked up his swords and sheathed them, then stood next to his son. ⌠Well, not bad son, but next time, just send her a note.■ he said, getting a chuckle from both Hitome and Takumi. Mai chuckled softly, walking away from the group, down the beach, hiding her tears of concern. Suddenly, a chunk of black and red in the water caught her attention. Giving it a quizzical stare, Mai removed some of the seaweed from the pile, and drew her hand back, gasping, the shouting someone, anyone, just to prove she wasn▓t dreaming.

Jet was the first one, followed quickly by Aang and Zuko. ⌠That can▓t be┘■ both Aang and Zuko found themselves at a loss for words. Mai stared at the broken body, floating in the water, chest barely rising and falling. ⌠But, this is impossible.■ she said with a quizzical stare, until Zuko and Aang lifted the weakened woman from the water. Then, she saw her face, paler than usual, but alive, and there was no denying it. ⌠Azula.■ was the last word she said before fainting into darkness.

TBC┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘.


	11. Chapter 11: Azula Alone

The Next Generation : Chapter 11 : Azula Alone

By: Juria

Notes: Any characters you do not recognize in this story probably belong to me, unless you've never seen Avatar. Also, I know, the title is confusing, but I decided to just tell Azula▓s story rather than have her tell it. Other than that, I'm done, so enjoy! Updated Ages: Mia : ( Toph and Zuko's daughter ) 14, Hitome : ( Sokka and Ty Lee's daughter ) 13 , Saito : ( Sokka and Ty Lee's son ) 17, Takumi : ( Mai and Jet's son ) 15 , Yin : ( Aang and Katara's daughter ) 15, Gyatso and Ozai : ( Aang and Katara's, and Toph and Zuko's sons respectively ) 10.

_Azula felt the blood flow down her dress, warm between her fingers as she saw Mai▓s dagger in her chest. She tried to pull it out, failing, for the first time in her life. As reality sat in, Azula fell backwards into the flames and metal, hoping that the gods would kill her rather than let her live in defeat. She shut her eyes, letting the water enter her lungs, and letting the cold overcome her._

Azula weakly opened her eyes, to the sound of voices, and no screams, no blood, no cold. What had happened? Her eyes managed to scan over to an elderly lady, and a young girl, hiding behind the woman, a mixture of fear and astonishment on her face. Azula tried to sit up, and fell backwards, mentally cursing herself for not being strong enough, her lip quivering as the elderly lady handed her a cup of water. ⌠Rest dear, save your strength.■ she said calmly.

A thousand questions flooded Azula▓s head as she sipped, then noticed the bandages on her chest. ⌠Who are you, and where am I?■ she asked weakly, deciding that now was not the best time to go on a fire-bending rampage. The woman smiled. ⌠My name is Kohana, and you are in the Earth Kingdom child. My grand-daughter and some of the men from our village found you, barely alive. You have been asleep for almost three months.■

Azula sighed deeply and rested her head on the pillow, letting the last things she could remember enter her head, the dagger, the blood, and the cold darkness of death. Suddenly, the sound of a villager shouting through the village pierced her ears. ⌠Fire Lord Ozai has fallen!■ The rest of the message became garbled as Azula rolled slowly on to her side, away from anyone, and silently let the tears roll down her cheeks. ⌠Father.■ she whispered. Azula listened as Kohana shooed the clambering children out of the room, chatter of Ozai▓s tragic death oozing out of their lips, like it was an early Christmas present.

Azula let her mind wander as she rested, her thoughts going back to the past, back to her childhood┘.

_⌠Ozai, what on earth are you doing?!■ Ursa shouted_

_⌠Isn▓t it obvious, I▓m enrolling our little prodigy in the Royal Fire Nation Academy for Girls, nothing but the best for my girl.■ he said with a smirk._

_⌠But, she▓s just 5 years old, give her more time!■ Ursa pleaded._

_Ozai▓s grin quickly turned into a scowl as he threw a wave of fire towards his wife, letting it extinguish before it could cause it any harm ⌠ENOUGH!■ he bellowed. ⌠She will learn to be perfect, solid in every aspect, to be better than that miserable excuse of a son, she will be flawless!■_

Azula cringed and shook as she remembered clearly what had happened afterwards, Ursa had tried to protest, and father had backhanded her, hard, making her lip bleed. She remembered how hard she▓d cried when the sages had come for her, how Zuko had tried to stop them, and then, then┘.. ⌠Zuko.■ she muttered, subconsciously wiping her eyes, then she looked down and saw them, little tear drops on her arm, had she been crying, over Zuko?

Days became weeks as Azula recovered, trying to hide herself, while slowly regaining her sanity. Taking the cover-name of Ling, Azula began working around the town, much as she despised the work, she knew she had to blend in until the time was right. As time went by, the thoughts of the past became less and less, the night-terrors ended, and Azula all but forgot her old life. ⌠So, Zuzu, is this what it feels like to be free?■ she asked the stars one night, before the younger girls dragged her back over to the fire for songs and typical girl-talk. For once, her life was good, peaceful, but as all things in her life, the peace never lasted.

Azula▓s eyes shot open, the screams outside causing her to sit straight up. Within seconds, she had her clothes on, keeping to the shadows until she could get a good look at the situation. She saw a group of men, dressed in Fire Nation armor, 20 strong. However, it was the girl in their general▓s arms that made her blood boil. ⌠Chan!■ The sound of Kohana▓s cry of panic only further fueled the fire that welled deep within Azula. She wanted to strike them all down with lightening, but held herself back. _No, can▓t be found out._

All of her time spent watching Ty Lee and Mai paid off, as Azula nimbly made her way out of the house and into the fields, picking up a pair of sickles, along with random metal pieces from the broken farming equipment, and hiding them in her sleeves. ⌠Now, to get their attention.■ she muttered to herself, picking up a rock and smacking their general in the side of the face with it. The general growled and looked in Azula▓s direction, only to be met with a red blur. He turned back to the villagers, and saw a young girl, her raven hair in front of her face, standing out among the rest of them. ⌠Bring her to me!■ he shouted.

One of the soldiers strode over to Azula, reached for her, then instantly fell to the ground, from several quick blows to his chest. Azula threw her hair back, stomped on the soldier▓s chest so he wouldn▓t die, then locked eyes with the general. The general▓s lips curled into a snarl as his grip tightened on Chan▓s waist. ⌠Kill her!■ was all the more Azula needed to hear, letting the metal pieces fly like a pair of fire blasts, pinning several of the soldiers to either the trees or the ground. Azula unsheathed her sickles as the remaining soldiers surrounded her. She barely had time to jump out of the way as their fire blasts shot at the ground where she stood. Leaping behind the nearest solider, she used him as a weapon, throwing him at his fellow warriors, while continuing to disable the firebender▓s abilities one by one.

In a matter of minutes, Azula stood tall, her sickles still firmly in her hands as she returned her gaze to the general. ⌠Let her go, and leave while I▓m still in a good mood.■ Azula said firmly, but with a tone that sent a chill down the general▓s spine. However, he quickly shrugged it off, cracked his neck, and leapt off his Rhyno, smoke bellowing out of his nostrils. This time, Azula held her sickles in front of her, preparing to deflect whatever he threw at her. She got her chance as a fireball came flying right at her face, which she dispersed, noting the heat of the handles, she couldn▓t do this too long. As fireballs began to rain down on her, Azula threw off her shirt, using it to stop the fireballs, as well as hurl her sickles at the attacking general, cutting a deep gash in both of his shoulders.

The general growled as he ripped the sickles out of his shoulders, blood flowing down his chest. ⌠You little bitch!■ he roared, slamming his foot down on the ground, sending a stream of flames in Azula▓s direction. Azula looked back, noticing the people behind her, took a quick breath, then slammed her own fist down, sending a larger stream of blue flames back at him, knocking him into the air, and crashing into his Rhyno.

Azula ran over and helped Chan up, then turned her gaze to the general, with all the intimidation of her old self. Azula lifted him up, a blue fireball in her hand, but she quickly crushed it out and dug her nails into his shoulder wound. ⌠Listen here, you worthless coward, leave this village and never return, or I _will_ destroy you!■ she shouted, throwing him to the ground. The general stared deep into Azula▓s eyes, shaking with fear. ⌠It▓s you, Princess Azula!■ he said, crawling away, his soldiers following suit. Azula▓s hands shook as she felt the familiar heat dance between her fingers. It felt good, but somehow, wrong.

She turned back towards the villagers, but was met with a different stares, some of confusion, some of concern, and most of anger. Kohana hugged her grand-daughter, then walked over to Azula. ⌠Why? Why did you lie to us?■ she asked, and for a fleeting moment, Azula thought she saw her mother. Azula sighed deeply, then ran into the forest, her lip quivering. ⌠Wait!■ Chan called out to her, but her calls fell on deaf ears.

Flashback end┘┘┘..

Azula slowly opened her eyes, looking around the tent, until her eyes fell on two people, one she thought she▓d never see, Chan, and another she wished she▓d never see again, her mother. Ursa▓s eyes widened, then she calmly said nothing, walking out of the room. Now was not the time, but soon, they could talk.

TBC....................


	12. Chapter 12

The Next Generation : Chapter 12

By: Juria

Notes: Any characters you do not recognize in this story probably belong to me, unless you've never seen Avatar. Other than that, I'm done, so enjoy! Updated Ages: Mia : ( Toph and Zuko's daughter ) 14, Hitome : ( Sokka and Ty Lee's daughter ) 13 , Saito : ( Sokka and Ty Lee's son ) 17, Takumi : ( Mai and Jet's son ) 15 , Yin : ( Aang and Katara's daughter ) 15, Gyatso and Ozai : ( Aang and Katara's, and Toph and Zuko's sons respectively ) 10.

As the days passed, Azula slowly began to get stronger, and began interacting on a daily basis with the rest of the group, the first of her new friends being Toph, after Chan stopped playing the obsessive bodyguard. "Well, I'm not sure if you're officially welcome, but you've got my vote Zaps." she said with a soft smile. Azula returned the smile, before shaking her head when she realized her own mistake.

Then came Zuko, her brother, who said very little, but gave her a reassuring nod as he walked out. Ty Lee walked in next, embracing her like nothing had ever changed between them, while Mai stoically stood outside, waiting for the mushy reunion to end. Then, the two friends stared eachother down, Mai not backing up one inch. Azula sighed deeply, then looked back up at her former friend. Go ahead, let me have it. she stated. For a brief few minutes, Mai said nothing, just sitting next to Azula, staring at her, her gold eyes shimmering like the blades of her knives, staring deep into Azula s soul. "How dare you. You may have Toph and Zuko fooled, as well as Ty Lee, but when it comes to you and me, I don't like you, I don't believe you, and I sure as hell don't trust you!" Mai shouted, walking out before Azula could even respond.

Azula sighed softly as she watched Mai's gothic figure leave the tent. "Nice to hear from you too." she muttered. Jet huffed, quickly stepped inside, apologized to Azula, then chased after his wife before she planted a knife in someone's head. Azula sat quietly, slowly drumming her fingers on the make-shift bed, letting her thoughts wonder. Then, out of the corner of her eye, Azula spotted a pair of feet, cautiously listening from behind one side of the tent. Azula shook her head and couldn t help but chuckle. "Come out, I can see you, and you have all the stealth of an elephant-sloth." she stated bluntly. Slowly, the two feet came to the tent's door, quickly followed by their owner, and soon, Azula saw a girl that looked almost identical to herself as a young girl, except that her eyes were green.

After Azula got over the sudden shock, she managed to speak. "Who are you?" she asked, still having a dumbfounded look on her face. "I'm Mia, and, I guess, you're my Aunt Azula, huh?" she asked. Azula had to blink several times before responding. "I guess so, so go ahead, ask me anything." she said calmly, trying to put a smile on her face. Mia earthbended a chair next to Azula's cot, then sat down, a quizzical look on her face, as if she were deep in thought. "So, want a fire flake cookie?" Mia asked, holding up the cookie like a small child. "Um, sure." Azula said, happily taking the cookie, all the while confused by the sudden, and random, gesture.

After several hours of just random girl talk, Mia finally asked Azula a serious question. "My grandfather, the original Ozai I mean, what was he like?" she asked calmly. Azula sighed, staring off into space, as if trying to remember one of the worst memories of her life. In a matter of minutes, she responded. "He was cold, heartless, and remorseless. He was all of the things I used to be and more. In fact, the only thing he did right was manipulate me, your father, and everyone around him. However, deep down, I want to believe he had some good in him." Azula stated with a solemn, awkward silence following her last few words.

Then, slowly, the tears began to fall. Azula quickly wiped her eyes, trying to hide her weakness from her niece. Suddenly, Azula felt a hand wrap around her own, and looked up into the eyes of her niece, who she could tell didn t judge her and was honest in her words. "I'm sorry he hurt you." she said, embracing and comforting her aunt, whom she'd barely begun to know. "Thank you Mia." she whispered, tightly returning her hug. Once the two girls broke apart, they shared a pleasant, understanding smile, before Mia waved good bye, leaving Azula to listen to others as they visited her.

Through the rest of the night, Azula got to know her former enemies well, as well as their children. Out of all the people who had visited her, aside from family, Aang and Katara were the two that surprised her the most, their forgiveness seeming to be endless, both offering to help her in any way they could. By mid-night, there were only two left to reconcile with, Mai, and her mother.

TBC

Next Chapter: Azula stood up, staring in shock and disbelief at the young girl who commanded this elite group of warriors. "Greetings _former_ Princess Azula, my name is Li, and I've come to finish what my mother started!" she shrieked, lightening pulsating from her fingertips. *But, that's impossible* Azula thought *she's barely 11!* As the streams of blue, crackling death shot from the young child's fingers right at Azula's heart.


	13. Chapter 13

The Next Generation : Chapter 13

By: Juria

Notes: Any characters you do not recognize in this story probably belong to me, unless you've never seen Avatar. Other than that, I'm done, so enjoy! Updated Ages: Mia : ( Toph and Zuko's daughter ) 14, Hitome : ( Sokka and Ty Lee's daughter ) 13 , Saito : ( Sokka and Ty Lee's son ) 17, Takumi : ( Mai and Jet's son ) 15 , Yin : ( Aang and Katara's daughter ) 15, Gyatso and Ozai : ( Aang and Katara's, and Toph and Zuko's sons respectively ) 10.

Azula stood silently on the beach, gazing out at the waves swaying back and forth on the shore. She sighed as Mai glared at her, sitting on a rock, also staring out at the waves. "What do I need to do to prove to you that I've changed?" she asked. "Hmm, let's see, how about you go back into the ocean and see if you can find the bottom?" Mai suggested, hatred coating her words. Azula glared at her, then shook her head. "I don't know what else to do Mai, I can only hope that, in time, you can forgive me." she stated, walking back to her tent, leaving Mai in a state she hated more than anything in the world, cold, bitter, and alone.

"Um, Aunt Mai?" a familiar voice asked, snapping Mai out of her anger. Mai looked in the direction of the voice, and couldn t help but smile, not too much, but just a little. "Yin, you haven't called me that in the past 8 years." she said. Yin couldn't help but giggle at Mai's reaction, standing by the rock she was sitting on, gently bending the water into several small balls. As Mai returned to staring out at the ocean, she suddenly got a surprise as a water ball came up and splashed her in the face. Coughing and sputtering, Mai jumped back and down from the rock. "What was that about?!" she asked, obviously angry.

Yin smiled softly at her. "Aunt Mai, please, try to make peace with her. I don't know about the past you and Mia's Aunt Azula had, but this isn't helping. I've got a feeling she is going to be here a while, so please, for the sake of our group, make peace with her." she said calmly, starting to walk away. Mai, however, wasn't done with this conversation. "Now you listen to me, little girl, you don't know a damn thing about Azula, not like I do, and I won't stand here and listen to you tell me what I should and shouldn't ...." Suddenly, Mai stopped her rant as Yin turned around, her usually calm smile replaced with an outright furious glare, a mini-tidal wave of water rising above her. "Aunt Mai, just cool off!" she shouted, sending the water all over Mai, completely drenching her.

Mai stood on the shore, her clothes drenched, as Yin stormed off, muttering something about "stupid adults". Mai sighed deeply, then reached into one of her weapon holders, and pulled out a small koi fish. Holding the fish in her hand, watching it wriggle, then jump out of her grip and back into the ocean, Mai couldn t help but giggle, and soon, that giggle turned into a full-blown laugh. Marching into Azula's tent, Mai still laughed as she hugged Azula, not only surprising the former princess, but soaking her as well. "Um, Mai, are you ok?" Azula asked, a confused look on her face, had Mai finally lost her mind?  
Mai stopped laughing, long enough to make one simple statement. "I've never felt better. Azula, I forgive you." she said, even bowing to her. "Um, are you _sure_ you're feeling alright?" Azula asked, that question getting her another squishy hug from Mai. "Of course I'm fine, I just needed a kick in the head, I guess." she said. Azula blushed, suddenly noticing how cold Mai had apparently gotten, from the front of her shirt. Mai, once she realized what Azula was staring at, quickly covered her chest, still chuckling. "I'm going to go dry off. Maybe later, we can talk more." she said, not feeling this embarrassed since the time Azula had tricked Zuko into diving on her in the fountain when they were kids.

As Azula watched Mai leave, she couldn't help but chuckle herself. However, her cheery mood suddenly ended when she turned around and saw the only person she hadn't made peace with, the one that she knew would be the hardest to forgive. "Hello mother, let's talk." she stated, sitting on her cot. Ursa pulled up a chair next to her daughter, sitting just a few feet from her. "Ok, I'm listening." Azula took a deep breath, than began. "How could you?" she asked, the question leaving Ursa in shock." How could I what dear?" she asked. "Don't you dear me, _Ursa_, you know what I'm talking about. How could you just leave me, leave Zuko, leave us to that, that, inhuman monster?, How could you praise Zuko so much, constantly scold me, and still call yourself our mother ?, You just left us, left Zuko with encouragement, and the last thing I remember you doing to me was spanking and scolding me, leaving me sobbing on my bed as you ran off into the night. I was going to apologize to you, but the next morning, you were gone. You loved Zuko more than me, you showed him love but repaid me with contempt!"

Ursa sighed, noticing the anger in Azula's voice. "Now come on Azula, you know that's not true, I loved you just as much as Zuko." "Liar!" Azula snapped, tears forming in her eyes. "When Zuko tried to firebend, you came to his side. When I firebended, you didn't say a damn thing!" she shouted. "Now Azula, please, calm down." Ursa said, still maintaining her composure. "No, you've got this coming, you try to pass yourself off as a gentle, harmless, caring mother, but in reality, you're just a two-faced, self-righteous bitch!" Azula screamed, and that was the last thing she said, as Ursa swiftly, faster than even she had realized, slapped Azula hard across the face. Ursa looked down at her hand, red and stinging, then at her daughter, holding her cheek, tears streaming down her face, and she turned away from her, a look of shame etched on her face.

Ursa stood up to leave, but suddenly, she felt a small hand grasp hers. She looked down, and for a brief moment, she saw her little girl again, holding her hand, sobbing because her father had slapped her just for asking one too many questions. Ursa dropped to her knees, clutching Azula's hand in hers, sobbing and shaking. "What have I done?, Azula, forgive me. Forgive me for not being there when you needed me, forgive me for not loving you both equally, please, forgive me for everything." she begged. Azula looked down at her mother, her lip quivering as she practically fell into her mother's arms. "Oh mommy, I'm so sorry." she said, embracing the elder woman. "It's ok baby, I'm here, and I'll never leave you again." she said, stroking Azula's hair as she wept. As the two ladies stood up, Ursa noticed the red mark on Azula's face disappearing. "Azula, I..." she started to apologize, but Azula stopped her. "Hey, this one I had coming." she said, giving a small smile. Ursa gave a concerned glance to her daughter. "Are you sure you're alright dear?" she asked. Azula gave a small scoff. "Mother, I'm fine. Although, to be honest, you hit pretty hard for, ya know, an older woman." she stated, whispering the last part, getting a laugh from her mother. "I love you mom." Azula said, hugging her mother tightly. "And I love you, Azula." Ursa replied.

Later that night .......

Azula sat up out of a deep sleep, hearing the sound of rustling outside of the little make-shift camp site. Groggily, she stood up and walked around, her senses becoming more alert when she heard voices, none of which belonged to the group. Walking up a near-by pathway, Azula spotted two soldiers talking. As she walked towards them, Azula suddenly felt a stabbing pain in her shoulder. Spinning around, she saw only a flash as several blows landed on her back, knocking her to the ground. As she laid on the ground, Azula saw several pairs of feet, followed by the dress of a young girl. Azula stood up, staring in shock and disbelief at the young girl who commanded this elite group of warriors. "Greetings _former_ Princess Azula, my name is Li, and I've come to finish what my mother started!" she shrieked, lightening pulsating from her fingertips. *But, that's impossible* Azula thought *she's barely 11!* As the streams of blue, crackling death shot from the young child's fingers right at Azula's heart.

TBC ......


	14. Chapter 14

The Next Generation : Chapter 14 By: Juria Notes: Any characters you do not recognize in this story probably belong to me, unless you've never seen Avatar. Other than that, I'm done, so enjoy! Updated Ages: Mia : ( Toph and Zuko's daughter ) 14, Hitome : ( Sokka and Ty Lee's daughter ) 13 , Saito : ( Sokka and Ty Lee's son ) 17, Takumi : ( Mai and Jet's son ) 15 , Yin : ( Aang and Katara's daughter ) 15, Gyatso and Ozai : ( Aang and Katara's, and Toph and Zuko's sons respectively ) 10. Also, Azurai's child's name is pronounced Lie.

Azula sat up out of a deep sleep, hearing the sound of rustling outside of the little make-shift camp site. Groggily, she stood up and walked around, her senses becoming more alert when she heard voices, none of which belonged to the group. Walking up a near-by pathway, Azula spotted two soldiers talking. As she walked towards them, Azula suddenly felt a stabbing pain in her shoulder. Spinning around, she saw only a flash as several blows landed on her back, knocking her to the ground. As she laid on the ground, Azula saw several pairs of feet, followed by the dress of a young girl. Azula stood up, staring in shock and disbelief at the young girl who commanded this elite group of warriors. Greetings _former_ Princess Azula, my name is Li, and I ve come to finish what my mother started! she shrieked, lightening pulsating from her fingertips. But, that s impossible Azula thought she s barely 11! As the streams of blue, crackling death shot from the young child s fingers right at Azula s heart...........

Ursa practically flew off of her cot as she heard her daughter's panicked screams, a sound she hadn't heard since Azula was 5 years old and had trouble with night terrors. Ursa rushed into Azula's tent to find her daughter shaking, weeping, and screaming for her. As Azula wept, Ursa gently held her daughter. "Azula, sweetheart, it's alright. It's ok baby, I'm here." Azula shivered in her mother's arms. "It was so real, so painful." No more than ten feet from Azula's tent, Mai stood on guard, two would-be spies bound and gagged to a pair of trees by Zuko and Jet, while Toph stood over the one Mai currently had the heel of her boot in the throat of. "So, should we crush him?" Toph asked, giving a small grin. Zuko shook his head, then Mai applied just a bit more pressure to the man's throat, a trick she'd learned from Ty Lee, until she had sucessfully crushed his voice box, then releasing her foot. The four warriors watched as the now mute spy staggered to his feet, turned around; his red jumpsuit with the black firenation symbol hanging loosely from his body, and ran off into the dark forest.

"Well, what now?" Jet asked, pointing towards the two unconscience spies bound to the trees. Toph grinned. "Now, we wait." Zuko gave a concerned glance in the direction of his sister's tent. "As much as it pains me to hear her sound, if she hadn't had that panic attack, those guys could have actually gotten beyond the front door, so to speak." Toph chuckled. "Not with me watching the door, dear." "Hey, if I remember correctly, a certain eartbender was snoring right along with me about ten minutes before this whole event took place." Zuko stated with a laugh, which was met with Toph promptly punching him in the arm.

The next morning..........

Zuko was awoken to a different sound from his younger sister, the sound of, combat. Zuko scrambled out of his makeshift bed, falling flat on his face in the sand, only to quickly rebound, grab his swords, and bolt out the front of his tent. Once outside, he felt like a complete idiot. There was Azula, training, with both his mother and Chan watching over her. Azula turned to him to greet him, and suddenly found herself covering her mouth in a giggle fit. "What?" Ursa also found herself giving a small chuckle, one which quickly stopped. "Zuko, dear, you might want to put some pants on." Zuko looked down, noticed how his undergarments where the only thing he had one, then quickly covered up his lower half with his swords, as the right side of his face was becoming as red as the left side. Zuko calmly backed back into his tent, and heared all three ladies burst into a fit of laughter. This, he decided, was going to be one of those long days.

Meanwhile, miles away......................

A young girl yawned and stretched to meet the bright new day, the sun coursing through her veins, filling her with it's life-giving power. The girl quickly dressed into her favorite red and gold robes, pausing only for a moment to let the silk wrap itself around her skin, before she walked out the front door of her room, where all who meet her wished her a good morning, be it out of fear or respect, she didn't know, but she enjoyed it all the same. As she walked towards the balcony overlooking the training grounds, several silent warriors all dropped behind her, bowing, then rising. "Good morning Lady Li." Tao spoke, giving her a reassuring nod. "Oh please Tao, there's no need to be so formal." she said, giving him a suprise hug. Li giggled as she broke from him, nodding as the rest of his troop rose to their feet. "Come now princess, what would your future husband say if he saw you like this?" Tao asked with a chuckle. Li smiled at Tao, then turned out to the training ground, where she saw Ozai doing what he did best, fire bending like he was in the middle of a constant battle field, an eruption of chaos, and yet, so focused, so accurate, she really felt sorry for the soldiers training with him. "Come on, you welps, is that all you've got?!" he asked, giving a laugh when they began to back off.

Li giggled when she saw the grin on his face, he was actually enjoying this. Looking up with a hint of aggression, his anger soon turned to a smile of joy once he saw the laughter's owner. "Lady Li, come on down here, show these guys what a real warrior can do!" he shouted up to her. Li blushed and turned away for him. "Ozai, you flatter me, really, I couldn't." Ozai smirked up at her. "Oh, come on, I know you're just being kind, come on, show them what you're made of, please, for me." he asked. Li sighed. "Fine, just don't come cryin' to me when I out-shine you!" she shouted, racing down the steps and out on to the training grounds, Tao and his troop quickly following. Once she had taken a few minutes to meditate, Li stood on one side of the training field, and with a simple snap of her fingers, one of the foot soliders had joined her on the other side. Now come on, don't hold back." Li said with a grin. The solider bowed, then charged at Li, blasting fireballs left, right, and every direction he could muster. Li simply danced between the blasts, each one looking like it barely missed her, even laughing as she danced. The solider hesitated as he got closer to Li, not wanting to bring down the wrath of Lady Azurai, and in the brief second, he knew he had made his last mistake. Li's eyes suddenly narrowed as she shot two fingers forward and, in a split second, a massive amount of electricity shot from her finger tips, causing the solider to stop, convulse, and fall to the ground in a heap. It was over, in a matter of seconds, Li had not just stopped this soldier, but she had completely charred him, the soldier's armor now a blackened husk with charred bones and flesh inside of it.

As the black smoke rose from the charcoal-like remains and scattered to the winds, Li turned to the two remaining soldiers, suprising them by humbly bowing. "What was his name?" she asked. The two soldiers shared a confused glance, then answered her. "His name was, Yan, Yan Lo." the first solider stated. Giving a thoughtful glance out to the sun, Li then turned back to the two soldiers. "Did he have any family?" she asked, this time getting an answer from the second solider. "Yes, a mother, father, wife, and two sons, all located in a village just 5 miles west of the old fire nation capital." he said firmly. Li sighed, then stared down at Yan Lo's remains. "Gather his body, prepare it for burial." Li quickly glanced at Tao's sister. "Zang, send a messenger hawk to this soldier's village, expresssing our deepest sympathy, and that their son and husband was killed last night by a group of rebels during an attempted raid." Zang nodded her head. "Yes, Lady Li." she said, running off to the hawk avirary, her blonde mohawk bouncing behind her. Li walked over to Ozai, gently kissed him on the forehead, and then walked up the steps to the balcony overlooking the training ground. "The rest of you, prep the ship for landing, I will inform my mother of the recent events." Li stated, getting a firm nod from each of her guards.

Tao and Ozai walked behind Lady Li, both reassuring her of their support as she walked towards her mother's room. "Mother?" she asked, slowly opening the door. Lady Azurai was sitting on the floor, calmly meditating. "Li, enter." she said, her voice unnervingly calm. Li entered cautiously, completely unsure of her mother's reaction, both Ozai and Tao keeping a firm stare on the door as it shut behind her. As soon as it shut, Azurai turned calmly from the dimly-lit candles to her daughter, her gaze never changing. "So, I heard you ordered a funeral for one of our soliders, as well as a landing for the airship at this soldier's home village, am I right?" she asked sternly. Li nodded slowly. "Yes, I felt it was necessary, see as how it would only be a two day cut off from our original plans, and besides, the people need to recognize their future fire lady. I wanted to set an example." she stated, beginning a second speech, but Azurai stopped her. "Very well, I will allow it, but this will be the last time, for a while. and you will take Tao and his friends with you, as well as Ozai. The resistance could be anywhere, and you need maximum protection at all times." she ordered. Li gave her mother a nod of reassurance. "I understand, but mother, you need not worry, after all, I am the world's first and only lightening bender, and as such, I am the most powerful bender in existence." she declared, only to be cut off by a sudden slap from Azurai. As Li rubbed the sting from her cheek, Azurai spoke in the same firm tone, her eyes locked on her daughter. "Li, let me make one thing perfectly clear, so long as the avatar lives, as long as he is able to bend, as long as he is able to harness the avatar state, he remains a constent threat. Once he is dead or under our control, then you can brag, but until then, even you are vulnerable. Please understand, I don't want to see you die."

Li's lip quivered slightly, but she quickly regained her composure and bowed deeply to her mother. "I understand mother, and I promise you, the avatar will be brought to bow at your feet." she stated, her mother giving her a nod of dismissal, then turning back to the dimly-lit candles. Li sighed as she exited the room, the large metal door slamming behind her. Once the door shut, she stared at the floor, long enough to gather her thoughts. "Hey, are you alright?" Ozai asked, a concerned look on his face. Li closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them again. "Yes Ozai, thank you for your concern." she said, gently hugging him, then she turned to Tao. "Get the gang ready, we're landing." Li couldn't help but giggle when she heard Zang's reaction from down the hall. "Yes, I finally get a break from being on this friggin' airship!"

TBC.........

Next Chapter: Li stood stoically in the middle of the village, her eyes never leaving Azula's. "So, you're the famous Princess Azula?" she asked with a scoff. Azula smirked. "Yeah, I'm the one your mother tried to kill, I'm here to return the gesture." she stated, getting into her battle stance.


End file.
